Subject: TURKEY/KURDS (L) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA
Topic: voa
From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)
 
DATE=5/4/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-177948
TITLE=TURKEY/KURDS (L)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  TURKEY SAYS IT HAS WITHDRAWN ALL OF ITS TROOPS FROM 
NORTHERN IRAQ.  AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA, THE 
WITHDRAWAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEFENSE MINISTER MARKS THE END OF 
TURKEY'S SEVEN WEEK-OLD INCURSION INTO  IRAQ.

TEXT: DEFENSE MINISTER MEHMET GOLHAN TOLD REPORTERS AFTER A 
CABINET MEETING THAT  NO  TURKISH TROOPS REMAIN IN NORTHERN IRAQ.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME JUST A DAY BEFORE THE START OF THE MUSLIM 
FEAST OF SACRIFICE HOLIDAYS, WHICH WILL BE CELEBRATED HERE UNTIL 
MAY THE 15TH.

LAST WEEK, TURKEY WITHDREW THE BULK OF SOME 35-THOUSAND TROOPS 
WHICH HAD BEEN DEPLOYED IN THE KURDISH-CONTROLLED ENCLAVE SINCE 
MID-MARCH TO CRACK DOWN ON REBELS OF THE SEPARATIST KURDISTAN 
WORKERS' PARTY, OR P-K-K. 

THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE P-K-K, DESCRIBED AS THE GREATEST 
(BIGGEST) MILITARY OPERATION IN MODERN TURKISH HISTORY, HAD 
PROVOKED WIDESPREAD PROTESTS FROM TURKEY'S WESTERN ALLIES.  THE 
EUROPEAN UNION THREATENED TO POSTPONE A CRUCIAL FREE TRADE 
AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN ANKARA AND BRUSSELS IN MARCH UNLESS 
TURKISH TROOPS WITHDREW FROM NORTHERN IRAQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 

BUT, AS IF TO DISPEL ANY SPECULATION THAT TURKEY WAS BOWING TO 
SUCH PRESSURE, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER HAS REPEATEDLY
STATED THAT IF NEED BE, TURKISH TROOPS WOULD -- IN HER WORDS 
--CROSS THE BORDER AGAIN AND AGAIN.

ALREADY THERE ARE REPORTS THAT SOME THREE THOUSAND P-K-K 
GUERRILLAS WHO FLED THEIR MOUNTAIN BASES AHEAD OF THE TURKISH 
INCURSION ARE SLOWY BEGINNING TO TAKE UP THEIR OLD POSITIONS.

THE WITHDRAWAL OF TURKISH FORCES HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF HOW 
TURKEY CAN SECURE ITS POROUS BORDER WITH IRAQ.  FOR THE PRESENT, 
TURKISH OFFICIALS SAY THEY WANT TO COOPERATE WITH THE MAIN 
KURDISH FACTIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ.

A DELEGATION FROM MASSOUD BARZANI'S KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, 
OR K-D-P, IS CURRENTLY IN ANKARA TO DISCUSS BORDER SECURITY.  THE
DELEGATION IS SEEKING FINANCIAL GUARANTEES FROM THE TURKISH 
GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING HELP IN RESETTLING VILLAGES ALONG THE 
BORDER, IN EXCHANGE FOR POLICING IT ON TURKEY'S BEHALF.

BUT NECHIRVAN BARZANI, A NEPHEW OF MR. BARZANI WHO IS HEADING THE
K-D-P DELEGATION, HAS WARNED THAT HIS FORCES CANNOT FULLY CONTROL
THE BORDER BECAUSE OF ITS VIRTUALLY IMPENETRABLE TOPOGRAPHY.  IT 
WAS THE SAME MOUNTAINS WHICH HARBORED THE K-D-P DURING ITS MORE 
THAN 30 YEAR WAR AGAINST SUCCESSIVE BAGHDAD.  

A DELEGATION FROM JALAL TALABANI'S PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN, 
OR P-U-K, IS ALSO EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN ANKARA TO HOLD SIMILAR 
TALKS.

// REST OPT // 

MEANWHILE, THREE WOMEN DIED OF SMOKE INHALATION IN AN ISTANBUL 
SUBURB, AFTER A GROUP OF PRO-P-K-K DEMONSTRATORS TOSSED FIREBOMBS
AT BANKS AND SHOPS, SETTING SEVERAL ON FIRE.  TWO OF THE 
DEMONSTRATORS WERE ARRESTED.  ISTANBUL POLICE ARE CONTINUING 
THEIR SEARCH FOR 12 OTHERS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. 
(SIGNED)

 NEB/AZ/MH/MMK

04-May-95 11:07 AM EDT (1507 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America