Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-BerhevokaÇapê-Rivista
Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
Why should
Sakik?
Turkey extradite Semdin
• Sakik would pose a security hazard in Turkey, so he is better off in northern
Iraq under KDP protection
Editorial by I1nur Cevik
For months we have been reporting about the rift in the leadership of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK). At the time many people tried to dismiss these reports as
simple propaganda. The news that Semdin Sakik gave himself up to the authorities
of the Iraqi Kurdistan Autonomous Administration proved how accurate our
reporting was and that things are not as rosy in the PKK leadership as some people
would like to think.
Sakik was the terrorist leader who played havoc with our security forces for all these years. He was well-respected
among the PKK militants, and he was the main adversary of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. He frequently accused
Ocalan of failing to lead the PKK forces and, instead, of hiding away in Syria. Sakik criticized Ocalan as a
commander trying to lead his forces by remote control.
All that Sakik said was true. Ocalan remains holed up in Syria and cannot move out of the country for fear that he
may be caught. As a matter of fact, the Syrians use him as a trump card against Turkey. In a way, Ocalan is a hostage
in Damascus who also resides in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, which is under Syrian control.
There are Turkish press reports that Ankara wants to extradite Sakik. These reports are erroneous and misleading.
Turkey does not want to extradite Sakik. A team of intelligence officials have been sent to interview him because
they feel they can obtain valuable information.
The Kurdistan Democracy Party (KDP), led by Massoud Barzani, has always said if PKK people give themselves up
to their authority, they will not be handed over to Turkey. They will remam in northern Iraq in KDP custody.
As a matter of fact this suits Turkey. Turkish officials feel Sakik would be "too hot to handle" and would pose
serious problems for our authorities. "Where and how to you jail him? How do you provide security for him?" So
Turkish officials feel it is better that Sakik remains in northern Iraq.
KDP officials also say any extradition would also dissuade other PKK people from defecting. "But if they see that.
Sakik is not handed over to Turkey, others may join him, and that would be very harmful for the PKK and
Ocalan," a leading KDP source told the Turkish Daily News.
Sakik's defection should open new areas of cooperation between the KDP and Turkey. Until now they have
limited this cooperation to combatting the PKK only in northern Iraq. Now this cooperation can be extended to
combatting the PKK on a global basis.
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• Tension dominated thepolitical and social sphere and, late on Friday afternoon, the Turkish Armed Forces 8
(TSK) made pointed statements referring to Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. The very tough statements,
Tense week in the political domain
which mirrored the tone of Yilmaz's own statements, obviously referred to the Prime Minister
Aktug
Ankara - Last Friday, late in the afternoon, newspaper offices in Turkey experienced the calm before the storm.
Ankara could sense this silence, knowing that a storm would soon follow. Thus, when it came, the Turkish
Armed Forces' (TSK) note had the effect of a bomb in all circles in Turkey.
Lr)
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What were the sta~es that led to that note?
Repuhlican Peopk'~ Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal, although he provided external support for the
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