Supreme Court to review ban on certain aid to terrorist groups Oct 1, 2009
A human rights organization, the Humanitarian Law Project, filed suit on behalf of individuals associated with two designated terror groups, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ... The suit says they could be charged with a violation of the material support statute even though they intend to support only lawful and nonviolent activities related to the PKK and LTTE. ... Ms. Kagan adds: "The decision below seriously undermines the statutory scheme... (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Cost of 'dirty' war in Turkey Sep 30, 2009
Recently there has been talk of finding a solution to Turkey's long running war with the Kurdish separatist group the PKK, and negotiations are said to be going on behind the scenes to bring about peace ... TURKISH KURDS The PKK has fought for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey since 1984 It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and the US An estimated 12 million Kurds are thought to live in Turkey ... Then in 1982 another son, Tacettin, was arrested on charges of being a PKK... (BBC News -- Europe)
Turkey seekstie-up with Iraq Sep 23, 2009
Ankara has been fostering closer relations with Baghdad and Irbil, the capital of the regional Kurdish government in northern Iraq, to tackle the threat posed by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is using northern Iraq as a safe haven to carry out its terrorist campaign inside Turkey. The tacit support of the Northern Iraqi Kurdish authorities for the PKK and the inability of the Baghdad regime to end the PKK's presence in the region has long strained Turkish-Iraqi relations and has... (Asia Times Online)
Turkey, Iraq decide to ink 40 agreements for cooperation Sep 19, 2009
Referring to the military action against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, Zebari said that the Iraqi government will try to eradicate terrorism under the mechanism by the United States, Iraq and Turkey. However, he said that PKK members reside in rural areas and the Iraqi government does not have control over members of any group or organization ... Turkey, Iraq and the United States are cooperating in the fight against the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by... (Xinhuanet, China)
Who Hates America? Sep 18, 2009
Turks overwhelmingly opposed the invasion of Iraq, they correctly see Iraqi Kurdistan as a haven for PKK terrorists, they fear the potential for Kurdish separatism encouraged by the example of Iraqi Kurds, and they generally see the alliance with Washington as an increasingly one-sided arrangement that has ceased to benefit them. Turkish anti-Americanism is also a function of the further democratization of Turkey: the broad mass of Turkish voters has finally been permitted to elect and retain a... (The American Conservative)
Bluerock Acquisition Corp. Announces Agreement for Qualifying Transaction Sep 16, 2009
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 15, 2009) - Bluerock Acquisition Corp. (the "Company" or "Bluerock") (TSX VENTURE: - ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent dated September 11, 2009, ("LOI") with PetroKamchatka Plc, a Jersey corporation ("PKK"), to complete a business combination that is intended to meet the requirements of an arms length "qualifying transaction" for Bluerock. PKK is a newly incorporated entity that immediately prior to consummating the... (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
Govt adds four groups to terror list Sep 8, 2009
The Kurdistan Workers Party, also known as PKK, is a Kurdish nationalist movement which engages in a range of attacks against Turkish security, civilian and foreign targets. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, an extremist Islamic organisation based in Pakistan, has directly engaged in a number of terrorist acts, including suicide attacks, bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations in India. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Parlak's backers will try again Sep 3, 2009
In the 1980s Parlak was involved in the PKK Kurdish independence movement. The U.S. government in recent years declared the PKK a terrorist organization ... Alice wrote on Aug 31, 2009 8:24 PM:" Please stop playing this Turkey being an "undemocratic country" & that Parlak would be "tortured" if he goes back to Turkey card. It's so pass. If you stop being so blind and read the news you would know, since Parlak came to this country, Kurdish origin people have gained a lot of rights and are set... (St. Joseph Herald-Pallidium, MI)
Parlak loses appeal (1238) Aug 27, 2009
Parlak, owner of Cafe Gulistan, in the 1980s was involved in the PKK Kurdish independence movement. The U.S. government in recent years declared the PKK a terrorist organization ... Gibbons wrote that the details regarding Parlak's Turkish conviction and involvement with the PKK are secondary to the fact that he was not forthright on his applications. (St. Joseph Herald-Pallidium, MI)
Kurdish cafe owner loses round to stay in US Aug 26, 2009
A Kurdish rights group that Parlak supported in the 1980s PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party was designated a terrorist organization in 1999 by the United States. Parlak was detained by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security in 2004 for alleged immigration fraud. (Ionia Sentinel-Standard, MI)
Washington ponders its endgame Aug 20, 2009
The Kurds have a substantial presence in southeastern Turkey, where Ankara is engaged in a low-intensity war with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), members of which have taken refuge in northern Iraq ... Put another way, no matter what the Iraqi Kurds say now about cooperating with Turkey regarding the PKK, over the long run, they still have an interest in underwriting a broader Kurdish nationalism that will strike directly at Turkish national interests. (Asia Times Online)
* Turkey marks 25 years of violent Kurdish rebellion Aug 17, 2009
Imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan is expected to release his own peace proposals soon through his lawyers ... Demands of the rebel PKK include amnesty for its top leaders, but such a deal would infuriate many Turks. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Turkey and Russia: Old rivals, new partners Aug 17, 2009
For Turkey, Russia s refusal to label Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as terrorists is a sore point. It is also wary of Russia s show of wanting to help Armenia and Azerbaijan make peace over Nagorno-Karabakh. (The Economist)
Turkey's Kurdish minority unearths justice at last Aug 16, 2009
Only 20 miles from Iraq's border, Cizre was right in the middle of the fighting between the guerrillas of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Turkish security forces, a war that claimed an estimated 40,000 lives between 1984 and 1999. Human rights groups estimate that 5,000 extrajudicial killings were committed and 1,500 went missing, mostly at the hands of state elements. (Christian Science Monitor)
Turkey PM aims to end PKK fight Aug 15, 2009
Mr Erdogan's comments came ahead of an expected PKK announcement ... His comments came ahead of an expected announcement of a roadmap to peace by the Kurdish separatist group, the PKK. ... Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) is expected to announce the group's future plans on Saturday - the anniversary of its first attack. (BBC News -- Europe)
1 killed in explosion in Istanbul Aug 15, 2009
The rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has carried out attacks to mark the date in past years, but the rebel leader is expected soon to announce a peace plan to end the conflict. Leftist and Islamic groups have also carried out bombings in the city. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Turkey offers water for Iraqi crackdown on Kurdish rebels Aug 12, 2009
In exchange, Iraq to clamp down on PKK. If water is Iraq's biggest bilateral issue, the separatist Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) is Turkey's ... He announced plans for a joint cooperation center in the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Arbil in which Turkey, Iraq, and the US would share intelligence aimed at stopping PKK attacks on Turkey from Iraqi soil. (Christian Science Monitor)
Bombs kill 8 in Shiite area in Baghdad Aug 12, 2009
Vested interest in improving tiesBaghdad and Ankara have been on edge, with drought-stricken Iraq accusing Turkey of cutting off water and Turkey accusing Iraq of failing to do enough to stop attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as PKK.. But both countries have a vested interest in improving ties because of their shared trade, oil and security concerns. (MSNBC -- International)
Kurds turn up the heat on Baghdad Aug 7, 2009
Gates did not mention Kirkuk by name - but clearly it is the only real bottleneck between both camps, since other pending issues, like the future of the Peshmerga (the Kurdish militia) and relations with terrorist groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are negotiable, from a Kurdish position. They are actually the price Kurds are willing to pay to keep Kirkuk. (Asia Times Online)
Turkey hems in its Islamist fringe Aug 7, 2009
"They are more committed against radical Islam than [fighting] the PKK [the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party]." ... HiT, which is unrelated to its namesake in Lebanon, has rivaled the PKK as a rallying cause for Kurds disaffected by the state ... Indeed, the Islamist group conducted an ongoing war against the PKK in the 1980s, killing suspected members in a bid for supremacy in the southeast of the country. (Asia Times Online)
Iran Detains 3 Americans Aug 2, 2009
Turkish government forces have carried out operations against elements of the Kongra-Gel terrorist group (KGK, formerly Kurdistan Worker's Party or PKK) located along Iraq's northern border. This Travel Warning warns U.S. citizens of the current security situation and reiterates the dangers of the use of civilian aircraft and of road travel within Iraq. (CBS News)
Turkey, Iraq, U.S. stress closer co-op on fighting against terrorism Jul 29, 2009
Atalay made the remarks at a press conference in the Turkish capital of Ankara following the third ministerial meeting of the tripartite mechanism formed by Turkey, Iraq and the United States, which focused on ways to develop their cooperation in the fight against terrorism and in efforts to eradicate the presence of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraqi territories. Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay (R front) and Iraqi Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-Waili (L)... (Xinhuanet, China)
Fatal ammunition blast in Turkey Jul 15, 2009
Turkish troops stationed in the region have been fighting the separatist rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which wants an independent Kurdish state. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched an armed struggle against the Turkish government in 1984. (BBC News -- Europe)
Turkey roadside blast kills four Jul 7, 2009
The provincial governor's office said the explosive device was believed to have been laid by the separatist rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK launched an armed struggle in 1984, calling for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey ... Correspondents says PKK fighters have in the past frequently used roadside bombs and landmines to target Turkish soldiers in the region. (BBC News -- Europe)
Obama's MidEast mission Jun 4, 2009
Top Turkish army generals did not attend an important bilateral conference in the United States last year, following American criticism of 's cross-border military offensive against Kurdish PKK rebels in Northern Iraq ... But Gen. Ilker Basbug reportedly told the audience of dignitaries in Washington this week that the ongoing presence of PKK rebels in Northern Iraq continues to have a negative impact on Turkish-U.S. relations. (CNN -- International)
Turkish jets strike rebels in northern Iraq May 29, 2009
Authorities said the land mine, which wounded eight other soldiers, was planted by the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.. The group has been fighting for self-rule in Turkey's southeast since 1984. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Six Turkish troops killed in landmine blast May 29, 2009
The soldiers were in a military vehicle on a road near the Iraqi border when they were hit by the mine, which was placed by the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the source said on condition of anonymity. The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the world, has waged an armed campaign for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish east and southeast since 1984, in a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives. (Yahoo! Asia News)
6 soldiers killed in landmine blast in eastern Turkey May 28, 2009
The landmine, planted by the militants of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), exploded when Turkish soldiers searched at Kavsak village in Cukurce town of Hakkari province, leaving six soldiers killed. The security forces conduct frequent operations against PKK militants in eastern and southeastern Turkey ... The PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. (Xinhuanet, China)
Turkish soldiers killed in blast May 28, 2009
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels are suspected of being behind the attack, officials say. The PKK has been fighting the Turkish government for self-rule in south-east Turkey since 1984 ... Wednesday's attack prompted Turkish troops, backed by helicopters, to launch an offensive against PKK rebels near the Iraqi border, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. (BBC News -- Europe)
In Turkey, hundreds of minors imprisoned on 'terrorism' charges May 27, 2009
The 2006 antiterror law makes it a crime to take part in demonstrations supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) ... The crime: protesting the prison conditions of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed head of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) ... Designated a terrorist organization by the European Union and United States, the PKK enjoys grass-roots support among citizens here in Turkey's predominately Kurdish southeast. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Turkey plays the good neighbor May 23, 2009
Regarding northern Iraq, Turks now seem confident that they have solid commitments from the ethnic-Kurdish provincial leaders there that they will no longer give sanctuary to fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a movement of ethnic-Kurdish Turkish citizens that has waged a lengthy armed struggle in eastern Turkey in support of its secessionist goals. Israel is not an immediate neighbor to Turkey. (Asia Times Online)
Turkey's rebellious Kurds: Stone-throwers in glass houses May 23, 2009
Both teenagers are among hundreds of Kurdish minors who face prosecution around the country for allegedly taking part in illegal street protests in support of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ... Most of the crimes consist of no more than chanting pro-PKK slogans and throwing stones at police ... The army chief, General Ilker Basbug, recently conceded that, even though 40,000 rebels had been killed since the PKK launched its insurgency in 1984, social and economic measures were... (The Economist)
Police on trial for Kurd attack May 22, 2009
Two military policemen have gone on trial in Turkey charged with an attack on a shop owned by a supporter of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). One man was killed and another injured in the grenade attack last November in Semdinli, near the Iraqi border. (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Turkey's Detente With Kurds Wavers May 22, 2009
The city has seen its population more than double in the last 15 years with the influx of rural Kurds, driven from their homes by the government's war with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, or by military reprisals. Youths have been reared on stories of the flight, memories of burning villages and decades of abuse and repression. (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Massacre leaves Turkey looking for answers May 20, 2009
It is assumed they did this so investigators would think the outlawed terrorist organization the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) was responsible ... There are about 57,000 village guards throughout Turkey's southeast, part of a policy established in 1985 to protect villages against attacks from PKK guerrillas seeking an independent Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey. (Asia Times Online)
Lesson in war May 20, 2009
The Turkish army, fighting the PKK in the mountains of south east Turkey and northern Iraq, and the Colombians, in combat with the Farc in the remote jungle, are no strangers to the use of force. But even they might be looking again to see what more they could do. (BBC News -- Europe)
Death toll rises to five in landmine blast in SE Turkey May 10, 2009
Militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) have been planting landmine against the Turkish security forces in eastern and southeastern Turkey. The PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey ... The Turkish forces have taken tougher actions against the PKK after the country's legislature extended the government's mandate to launch cross-border operations against the rebels in northern Iraq. (Xinhuanet, China)
Kurdish TV channel making waves May 10, 2009
It was seen as subversive in a country fighting the separatist Kurdish movement, the PKK.. Sarah Rainsford reports. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Turkish massacre villagers flee May 8, 2009
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said the weapons used in Monday's attack had been issued by the state, and that several of the suspects were members of an officially-sanctioned militia, the Village Guards, which has helped government forces fight the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "There are Village Guards both among the victims and the attackers," Mr Atalay told reporters in Ankara. (BBC News -- Europe)
Militia blamed over Turkish attack May 8, 2009
Set up in the mid-1980s as a means of arming, training and paying villagers opposed to the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Village Guards proved successful in combating insurgents. They also helped the Turkish military impose the martial law under which much of the region lived until five years ago. (BBC News -- Europe)
* Iraq condemns Irans shelling of Kurd villages May 7, 2009
Iranian forces often clash with guerrillas from the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which took up arms in 1984 for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey. PJAK and PKK fighters are also present in Iraq. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Village Guards Among Suspects After Turkey Massacre May 7, 2009
Weapons used in the attack belonged to the Bilge village's guards, who are paid and armed by the state to fight alongside troops against rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said. "It is a disappointing factor that village guards are involved," Atalay said. (Fox News)
Iran takes a stand over Kurds May 6, 2009
The news from Turkey is that Ankara is considering establishing two military bases in northern Iraq to confront the menace of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Meanwhile, Iran has recently escalated its responses to cross-border attacks by Kurdish militants with the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), an offshoot of the PKK that - unlike the PKK - lacks grassroots support in Iran and is widely viewed by Tehran as a proxy for the US and Israel ... The KRG, which is scheduled to hold a... (Asia Times Online)
Turkey: massacre reflects ancient traditions and volatile politics May 6, 2009
But Professor Bagli says the fact that the families involved were part of the "Village Guards," a well-armed militia set up by the Turkish government in the 1980s to fight the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), meant something more than tradition was to blame for the massacre. Observers have long criticized the "Village Guard" program, saying it created a violent division in Kurdish society and allowed militia members to use their power to settle scores and even expropriate land. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Turkey PM condemns massacre May 6, 2009
Unconfirmed reports, however, said the assailants also belonged to a militia called the Village Guards, who have helped government forces fight the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since 1984 ... The PKK has been battling for Kurdish autonomy since 1984 in the south of Turkey in a war which has claimed more than 40,000 lives. (BBC News -- Europe)
Many die in Turkey wedding attack May 5, 2009
Although the interior minister did not mention the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by name, analysts say his comments suggest the government is ruling out an attack by Kurdish militants. Rebels have been battling for more autonomy since 1984 in the south of Turkey - an insurgency which has claimed more than 40,000 lives. (BBC News -- Europe)
Dozens killed in attack on wedding in Turkey May 5, 2009
Interior Minister Besir Atalay said initial evidence did not point to terrorism, suggesting he was ruling out involvement of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ... Interior Minister Atalay did not mention the PKK, who seek an ethnic Kurdish homeland in the southeast, but indicated his remarks on no apparent link to terrorism meant they were not involved. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Fast Facts: Turkey May 5, 2009
A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. (CBS News -- World)
Timeline: Turkey May 5, 2009
1992 - 20,000 Turkish troops enter Kurdish safe havens in Iraq in anti-PKK operation ... Ceasefire with PKK breaks down ... 1999 February - PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan captured in Kenya. (BBC News -- Europe)
Turkish wedding attack kills 44 over blood feud May 5, 2009
The village guards were set up to protect villages and fight Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas ... The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, seeking an ethnic Kurdish homeland in the southeast. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Turkey hits Kurdish bases in Iraq May 1, 2009
The banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has been fighting for autonomy since 1984 ... The government has arrested 51 suspected PKK members this month ... Turkish warplanes have often targeted rebel hideouts in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, where Ankara says some 2,000 PKK guerrillas regularly stage hit-and-run attacks on Turkish territory. (BBC News -- Europe)
10 Turkish soldiers killed in attacks Apr 30, 2009
Officials suggested both attacks were done by rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has been fighting since 1984 for more autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, who makes up a fifth of the country's 70 million population and live predominantly in the impoverished southeast ... Many PKK guerrillas shelter in the mountains of neighboring Iraq, crossing the border for hit-and-run assaults ... But as the PKK campaigned has continued, Turkey last year staged a ground offensive against suspected... (MSNBC -- International)
Turkish blast kills nine soldiers Apr 30, 2009
This month, 51 people were arrested on suspicion of belonging to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ... He did not blame the PKK by name ... Observers say the Turkish government has had some success in cracking down on Kurdish separatists recently and also improved co-operation with the local authorities in northern Iraq where PKK militants are thought to hide. (BBC News -- Europe)
Suspected suicide bomber attacks Ankara university Apr 29, 2009
Police have recently warned of an escalation in attacks by the outlawed, separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey. Separately, nine soldiers died in a bomb blast blamed on the PKK in southeast Turkey. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Istanbul gun battle leaves 3 killed, 7 wounded Apr 29, 2009
Interior Minister Besir Atalay identified the assailant, Orhan Yilmazkaya, who was also killed, as a senior member of the Revolutionary Headquarters, a little-known group that he said was affiliated with the militant Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. ... It was not clear how the Revolutionary Headquarters was related to the PKK. ... And Kurdish militants associated with the PKK occasionally bomb civilian areas. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Those Turkish Visitors . . . Apr 29, 2009
While the Turkish military has been waging a war along the Iraq border, both men defended the action as fighting PKK terrorists. This battle with the Kurds has been going on since 1983, with 35,000 military and civilian deaths. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Leftist siege in Turkey: three die Apr 29, 2009
Eleven other members of the Revolutionary Headquarters group, believed to be linked to the separatist Kurdish rebels, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, were detained in the overnight raids, Mr Atalay said. The link between the militant group and the PKK was not clear, but the PKK was born out of Marxist ideology and has collaborated with leftist groups in the past. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
3 killed in Turkey shootout with militant Apr 28, 2009
ISTANBUL - A five-hour police shootout with a leftist militant in Istanbul left three people dead, including the militant described as a top member of a group tied to the Kurdish separatist PKK, authorities said ... "It is a leftist group which is also linked to the separatist group," Atalay said in reference to the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which collaborated with several leftist groups in the past. (MSNBC -- International)
Istanbul siege leaves three dead Apr 28, 2009
"It is a leftist group which is also linked to the separatist group," he said, referring to the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The group had in the past carried out attacks on military targets and an office of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, he added. (BBC News -- Europe)
More Turks in 'coup plot' charges Apr 18, 2009
Meanwhile Turkish police announced the arrest of 43 people suspected of links to the Kurdish militant separatist group the PKK.. Raids were carried out across the country, from Izmir in the west to Batman in the south-east and the capital Ankara. (BBC News -- Europe)
Dozens of Turkish Kurds arrested Apr 15, 2009
The governor's office said the operation was aimed at the illegal Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK.. The AFP news agency reported that the suspects arrested included three DTP deputy chairmen, two lawyers representing jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and the chief editor of a Diyarbakir-based private TV channel ... Separately, the head of Turkey's armed forces said the PKK was destabilised and no longer able to operate freely across the border in Kurdish northern Iraq. (BBC News -- Europe)
What Turkey Can Teach Us Apr 14, 2009
It was fighting a brutal struggle against guerrillas from the Kurdish Workers Party (known as the PKK), particularly in the country's southeast, from whence they fled over the border into Iraq ... The lengthy process of EU accession has led to massive changes in Turkish governance, from abolishing the death penalty (even for PKK head Abdullah Ocalan), to minority and language rights for Kurds, to higher status for women in Turkish universitiesand, of course, keeping the military out of... (Slate)
Newsweek: Should Obama be the world's therapist? Apr 14, 2009
For its part, the United States essentially ignored the potentially powerful role this Muslim democracy could play in the region and only reluctantly (and only of late) agreed to help Ankara in its fight against the PKK terrorist group in northern Iraq. But by recognizing that Turkey's "greatness" lies in its ability to "be at the center of things," Obama showed his respect for what Turkey has accomplished and explicitly acknowledged the country's vital geopolitical vantage point. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Don't talk of a war on terror Apr 13, 2009
If it were, it would have involved the Basque separatists in Spain, the Hindu/Marxist Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the Maoist rebels in eastern India, Israeli ultranationalists, the Kurdish PKK, remnants of the Irish Republican Army and the Sikh separatist movements, and so on. Rather, the war on terror, as conceived of by the Bush administration, was targeted at a particular brand of terrorism that employed exclusively by Islamic entities. (Albany Times Union)
An Anti-Iranian Enclave in Iraq Fights to Stay Apr 12, 2009
The days when Iraq was used as a base to launch attacks against its neighbors, whether by the MEK along the eastern border with Iran, or by the Kurdish separatist PKK along the northern border with Turkey, are over, he says. While the Iraqi government has made it clear it's withdrawing the welcome mat extended to the MEK by Saddam Hussein, it has stopped short of saying how it will get them to leave. (Time.com)
