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CNNi broadcast TV images of this act of violence in Southern Turkey where a Kurdish majority lives. There had been reports this year that violence had returned to Turkey from the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq.
It was difficult to find the story, following link is nearly verbatim to CNNi report.
Two civilians dead and dozens wounded
For a long period there have been bomb attacks in Kurdistan by the government’s contra -guerrilla forces. Our attention has been brought to the fact that these attacks have mainly been in Hakkari’s Semdinli district.
The latest bombings occurred on the 9th November, which was the day the EU published its annual report for the ended September 2005 on Turkey’s progress towards accession. It was also the day on which an agreement was signed in which Germany would be selling two hundred tanks to Turkey. The report made no mention of the Kurdish question.
Strife across Turkey border flares up »»
The police began to fire at the crowd, who wanted to lynch the sergeants, but took them to the police station. A large and diverse quantity of guns and bombs were found in the sergeants’ vehicle. We have found out that Zahir Korkmaz was killed in the bookstore in which the bomb exploded and Metin Korkmaz was heavily wounded.
This act is very similar to SAS operation in Basra a few months ago. What if anything can we believe our governments are telling us and what information is kept secret.
NEW YORK Nov. 18, 2005 — The shooting deaths this week of at least four demonstrators by Turkish police signals an alarming deterioration in the human rights situation in southeastern Turkey. Growing police violence against demonstrators jeopardizes the significant human rights progress that Turkey has achieved in recent years. “Turkish police appear to have used excessive force in the shooting deaths of four unarmed demonstrators,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “If security forces are allowed to revert to their old ways with impunity, not only will more lives be lost, but the achievements of the past few years will also be squandered.”
According to eyewitness reports, police shot and killed İsmail Bartin, Ersin Mengeç, Abdülhaluk Geylani and Gıyasettin Avcı during violent disturbances following a press conference in the town of Yüksekova on November 15. Eyewitnesses reported that police abruptly used force to disperse people who had assembled to listen to the reading of a press release issued by the Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) about events in the nearby town of Şemdinli.
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
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United Nations has a problem of self-interest of six major nations sitting with veto power on the Security Council. The injustice of wars since 1945 has not diminished, although a world conflict has been avoided. We have witnessed injustice in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Middle East, African and South American strife. Most conflicts were influenced by the Cold War stand-off between the U.S., China and the Soviet Union.
The regional organizations of a continent: Asia, Africa, Middle East and Arab Nations have not been able to root out war or prevent genocide inside a sovereign country. I personally hope these regional organizations draw more power so they can make a difference on their continent. This, from recent conflicts, doesn’t look promising for the near future.
Kurds begin ‘operations’ in Iran
What no one wanted but feared from the beginning of the US invasion of Iraq, unrest in the border region of Kurdish North Iraq and Turkey.
BBC News – April 15, 2005 – Turkish security forces have killed 21 members of the Kurdish paramilitary group, the PKK, in southeast Turkey, officials in the area say.
It is reported to be the biggest clash in the area since the PKK declared a unilateral truce in 1999.
Turkey’s war with the separatist PKK guerrillas in the 1980s and 1990s, left more than 30,000 people dead.
The EU has recently signed an economic partnership with Syria, despite pressure from big brother the US.
Syrian President Hails Turkish President’s Visit
Turkish Weekly ANKARA Assad said he would discuss with Sezer the role of the United States and European countries, in the region which he said resembled “the colonial era.” “We can reduce the dangers to the minimum only if we act together. The dangers are threatening all of us… They started with Iraq and have now targeted Syria … They are trying to intervene in Turkey’s internal affairs. I believe all countries in the region are under threat. All we can do is to act together…,” the Syrian president added.
[…]
On the issue of Iraq, Assad said he still feared the breakup of the country under the pressure of its feuding ethnic and religious groups. “This could pose a direct threat to Syria and Turkey…If Iraq breaks up, we will pay a very heavy bill. It is difficult even to guess what dangers we may encounter.”
Undoubtedly, an important issue on their agenda will be the Kurds in their respective countries. Syria had great difficilties last year with Kurd uprising.
Global Security – KURDISTAN MAPS
Mon Sep 26th, 2005 at 10:56:09 AM PST
When the first intifada broke out in Israel, in 1987, the Arabs used rocks, molotov cocktails, hand grenades, and rifles. In that same year the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka began a fifteen-year campaign, which employed suicide bombers.
When the second (al-Asqa) Intifada began, the Palestinians adopted the tactics of the Tamil Tigers. During the most deadly year of the Second Intifada, 2002, there were forty-two separate suicide bombings that killed 228 people.
Added my comment ::
PKK Renegade Faction of Kurds
You made a fine analysis, but I find too many news items of border incursions. Found a source with excellent summary of Kurdistan history, written for the OSCE ::
1997 – Kurdistan: Conflicts in the OSCE Area
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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Another interview with Colin Powell with excerpts on BBC World Radio.
I haven’t found a link to David Frost’s interview or excerpts yet, but I did locate an interview dated April 13, 2003::
COLIN POWELL: I think we should feel a sense of vindication, we should feel that we were right.
The President was right, Prime Minister Blair and so many other world leaders were right, that even in the face of protests and demonstrations, we knew that this was a regime that had to be dealt with because of its failure to comply with international obligations, and the people of Iraq are going to be better off. They will be under a democratic form of government and we will help bring that democratic form of government into being.
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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Ex-US Secretary of State Colin Powell has indicated that Europeans are being disingenuous when they deny knowledge of the rendition of terror suspects.
Mr Powell said the recently highlighted practice of moving people to places where they are not covered by US law was neither “new” or “unknown” to Europe.
Talking to the BBC, Mr Powell also described his difficulties over Iraq.
Powell Interview“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Turkey is an Allie of the U.S., they can’t be ‘Terrorists’!!
The Kurds are Allie’s, and Protected by the U.S., as well as Armed, they can’t be ‘Terrorists’!!
Where oh Where are All the ‘Terrorists’, must be in The Rest Of Iraq and Palestine Because ‘We Say So’ and ‘So Do The Israelli’s’!!!