Serious concern was expressed that in the conflict between the Government and the PKK, civilians not directly involved in the combat were becoming targets of both the Turkish security forces and the PKK guerrillas.

352. In addition to the individual cases of disappearance, the Working Group continued to receive information according to which, in an attempt to fight the PKK, harassment and attacks against civilians suspected of having links with the PKK were being committed.

The Government replied that the couple had been detained on suspicion of participating in PKK activities.

The judgment was said to be based on the reasoning that, since the group which was quot struggling for the independence of the Kurdish people quot was the Kurdish Workers apos Party (PKK), consequently, Aycin apos s statement demonstrated support for the PKK.

Erdoğan s plan, however, depends on ending Turkey s 30 year conflict with its own Kurdish population. As a result, the Erdoğan government has decided on negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), the armed Kurdish resistance movement.

The Government replied that Faruk Dürre had been arrested on charges of assisting the Kurdish Workers apos Party (PKK).

On 5 November 1996 the Government replied that he had been detained on charges of assisting the PKK.

Lastly, the reference to the end of the violence against the Kurds in 1999 was unclear but, as far as he knew, that had been the year in which the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) had collapsed following the capture of its leader.

Terrorism and human rights were discussed in the context of the struggle of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

Kurds held fast to their own ethnic identity. Eventually, the suppression of the Kurdish language and culture fueled a brutal insurgency, led by the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) which has cost the country more than 30,000 lives.

The Government replied that Leman Çelikaslan had been detained on charges of participating in PKK activities.

The uncertainty this time around is attributable to the predominantly Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP). Kurdish political parties shied away from contesting past elections, owing to their fear of failing to clear the 10 popular vote threshold needed to enter the parliament.

9. The member of Parliament and deputy for Diyarbakir, Ms. Leyla Zana, has been sentenced to a prison term of 15 years, upon the lifting of her parliamentary immunity, allegedly for having had contacts with members of the Kurdish Workers apos Party (PKK) and having propagated, in the Kurdish language in Parliament, a just solution for the Kurdish problem.

Victims included Kurdish villagers, students, journalists and members of political parties.

The largest number of casualties reported appeared to be as a result of killings during raids and military operations conducted against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Abdulhaluk Beyter was one of 15 persons taken into custody in the operations against villagers with suspected PKK links.

Moreover, the PKK is utilizing illegal migrants in Europe for its organized criminal activities.

The amendment replaced reference to the acronym quot PKK quot in paragraph 16 of the report with quot Kurdistan Workers Party quot .

In this context, it is to be mentioned that reports have also been received about abuses committed by the PKK.

On 18 September 1996 the Government replied that he had been detained on 3 July 1996 during operations against the PKK.

The fighting between the KDP and the PUK resulted in the flight of an estimated 65,000 PUK supporters from northern Iraq to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Government replied that Ismet Çelikaslan had been detained on 27 September 1995 at Içel police headquarters on suspicion of participating in PKK activities.

He had allegedly been subjected to arrest, imprisonment and torture in Turkey on a number of occasions from 1985 until he finally fled in 1990, on account of his active support for the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

The PKK is a terrorist organization carrying out all kinds of organized crime and illicit drug trafficking.

Turkey accuses Iraqi Kurds of harboring between 3,000 and 3,500 of Turkey s most active Kurdish militants the PKK separatist guerillas who are blamed for the deaths of 80 Turkish soldiers so far this year. The trouble reached the boiling point on October 7, when Kurdish fighters killed 13 Turkish soldiers near Turkey s border with Iraq.

In fact, in 1997, 2,455.550 kg of heroin, 13,357.817 kg of hashish, 4,255.14 kg of morphine base, 1,125.258 kg of cannabis, 22,440.440 kg of acetic anhydride, 100 g of cocaine, 20,000 amphetamine tablets and 1,080 kg of sodium bicarbonate that were confiscated in Turkey were found to be linked with the PKK and 551 PKK offenders were caught in connection with the issue.

On 19 June 1996 the Government replied that Ishak Tepe had been detained on suspicion of assisting the PKK and a public case had commenced against him at Diyarbakir Security Court.

On 20 September 1996 the Government replied that he had served as the Vice President of the Youth Commission of HADEP, which was involved in activities on behalf of the PKK.

Her subsequent detention was based on suspicion of activities connected with the PKK, not the statement she had made in the newspaper.

The same delegation cautioned UNHCR that some of the humanitarian aid provided to the Ain Sufni population may be diverted to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Syria s Kurdish Hope

Factional fighting between the two main political parties in Northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), coupled with the intervention of outside powers, resulted in population movements both inside Iraq and to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Kurdish

shahr e Kord

From Turkey s perspective, a confederation of Syria s northeastern region with the KRG might be favorable to continuing domestic Kurdish unrest, much less rule by the anti Turkish Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) along its border with Syria. In contrast, any attempt by the KRG to establish a Kurdish corridor to the Mediterranean would certainly meet resistance, not only from Turkey, but also from other warring factions in Syria.

The Working Group was informed about the situation of the Turkmen minority in Iraq, including in areas controlled by Kurds.

On 8 May 1996 the Government further informed the Special Rapporteur that the detainees had been released in early February pending trial on charges of assisting the PKK.

269. In addition, the Special Rapporteur received several reports regarding the killings of Kurds and Assyrians by Kurds in northern Iraq.

Erdoğan s Kurdish Gambit

I would like to convey the greetings of the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, which is part of Iraq, to the Assembly.

Kurdistan

Sounds like Kurdish. I don't understand it.

The State party should take urgent steps to remedy the situation of statelessness of Kurds in Syria and to protect and promote the rights of non citizen Kurds.

The Committee remains concerned at the situation of the large number of Kurds treated as aliens or unregistered persons and the discrimination experienced by them.

A Referendum For Kurdistan?