Kurdistan Update 11.11.92

[PeaceNet Middle East Team]

From: <pnmideast>
Subject: Kurdistan Update 11.11.92

Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 17:26:32 PST
Subject: Kurdistan update 11.11.92

/* Written 11:56 pm  Nov 11, 1992 by aforum%moose.uvm at MIZZOU1.missouri.edu in igc:misc.activism. */
/* ---------- "Kurdistan update 11.11.92" ---------- */
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Interview With PKK General Secretary Abdullah Ocalan By Kurdish
Newspaper Berxwedan, October 30/92

General Secretary. In recent days in the press there have been
reports about talks between the Kurdistan Front and the PKK. Is
this true?

Talks are continuing. We are particularly concerned to defeat the
schemes of the Turkish state. They are pitting Kurd against Kurd.
They have infiltrated agents into the Kurdistan Front. As you know
they have brought Turkish tanks in and they are using the peshmerga
fighters like a shield. There are some traitors that want to
organize a massacre killing the Kurds on both sides. We have taken
precautions against these possibilities, one of these is the talks,
to settle the problems in a political framework. We believe better
results will be forthcoming. This does not mean "they have
surrendered, they have fled", the way it was portrayed in the
press. This is nothing but propaganda. The struggle will continue
in a more comprehensive and healthy way. This means our guerrillas
will have better opportunities everywhere, including along the
border. In this way we will defeat the designs of the Turkish
state. This is the framework in which the talks are proceeding. We
wish to prevent needless bloodletting. The Kurdistan Front have
similar demands. We believe that the people of Kurdistan will be
able to wage a better struggle against the Turkish state by
uniting. A settlement has not yet been reached but we are hopeful
that the talks will lead to an outcome that will thwart the plans
of the Turkish state.

     Some circles are saying that "the PKK has given up its arms,
it has accepted the conditions laid down by the Kurdistan Front."
How do you evaluate this situation?

     No, we are not giving up our arms. On the contrary a more
comfortable environment is being created. The Kurdistan Front are
the ones in difficulties, not us. Their treachery has been exposed
for all to see and they have suffered a serious defeat. Our
guerrillas have put up a great resistance for nearly a month. It
has been a heroic resistance. We will continue to develop the war.
They want to hide their defeat and the fact that their real faces
have been exposed by using propaganda. Our losses are less than
100, not 400 or 500 as has been claimed. Both Turkey and the
collaborationists' forces have suffered heavy losses. There is no
question of our forces being defeated, on the contrary, a great
military and political success has been achieved.


Press Statement - October 28/92

"We have not withdrawn one inch", says PKK

     ARGK (People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan, military wing of
PKK) main military command said today: "From being on the
defensive, we are going on the attack".
     Following reports in the press of the PKK forces losing ground
in clashes with the KDP-PUK forces, and rumours of the PKK meeting
the PUK and accepting all conditions laid down by these forces,
contact was made with the ARGK military command in the region. The
commander stated that there had been no such meeting and that up
until now the guerrillas had been on the defensive but that they
were now ready to go on the offensive. He said the report of the
PKK accepting conditions of surrender was entirely imaginary. He
said: "Clashes are continuing. Neither Turkish units nor peshmergas
have taken any of our positions and they have not forced the PKK
into a difficult situation. As we have stressed before we are not
in favour of conflict and we did not start the hostilities. Now we
will go on the offensive. We have the strength to succeed." Another
official stated: "Kurdistan is our country and no force will be
able to remove us from our land.
     In fact many peshmerga fighters have come over to our side.
This statement by the PUK and KDP shows the bankruptcy of their
attacks. The reason they have made this statement is that they wish
to soften criticisms and reactions aimed at them by the Kurdish
people, and they want to give the Iraqi opposition representatives
the impression that they are still powerful".

Kurdistan Information Centre


An Interview With The General Secretary Of The PKK, Abdullah
Ocalan, By The Kurdish Newspaper Berxwedan, On October 24/92

PKK General Secretary Abdullah Ocalan: "We will develop the
revolutionary war to counter the imperialist plot in south
Kurdistan"

     General Secretary, how do you evaluate the developments in
south Kurdistan?

     We are well aware that the enemy has intensified his attacks
on us. The all-out offensive of the Turkish state dates back to the
National Security Council and Cabinent meetings held in Diyarbakir
at the end of August. A concensus has been arrived at between the
parties in the Turkish Parliament and diplomatic endeavours have
been made to cut off supposed ties with Iran and Syria. they then
tried to put the southern collaborationist forces into the breach.
The basis for this is Demirel's phrase "to break the back" of our
activities in south Kurdistan. We know that they have been
preparing such a plan for a long time now. For various reasons they
timed it for October. By securing the approval of the U.S. and
Europe, and even taking into account the U.S. elections they made
their preparations accordingly. Barzani's statement: "Turkey gave
me seven days, I have to succeed" proves the reality of this plan.
The timing of the meeting of the Iraqi opposition was also part of
this plan. They had hoped to defeat us by the 23rd of October, but
the failure of the peshmergas and the lack of success of the
Turkish offensive has resulted in the postponement of this meeting.
The fact that the Turkish army entered the fray in the last few
days proves that the collaborators were unable to deliver the
goods. We will develop the struggle on all fronts against these
plans.

     If you are victorious in this war, how do you see future
developments?

     If we come out on top it will mean Turkey is staring defeat
in the face and it will have to withdraw. Kurdistan will then be
free, to a great extent. We will give our all and create a free
Kurdistan.

     Our reporters in the region inform us that the peshmergas are
unwilling to fight. What is your opinion about this?

     This is clearly the case, that the peshmergas have no
intention of fighting. They are being forced to fight. In a
prolonged war the collaborationist forces would lose the support
of the people and the peshmerga fighters. These forces have put all
their fighters at the disposal of the Turkish units. If the Turkish
units fail they, too, will collapse. For this reason we do not see
the clashes in the south as a PKK-Peshmerga conflict, rather we see
it as the liberation struggle of the people of the south.

     So can we say that you are going to open a front in south
Kurdistan?

     The two fronts are linked. We cannot develop the front in the
north without doing the same in the south and vice versa. The
drawing of the Turkish army into the south makes things easier for
us in the north. We will draw them deeper into the swamp which will
be very disadvantageous for them.

     War scenes are being shown on Turkish television and in the
press. How do you evaluate this?

     For the enemy the war is intensifying and for us the guerrilla
war is coming to the stage of an all-out popular uprising. This is
an important stage. It gives us the possibility of reaching
equilibrium in the war. We will dedicate all our forces to the
struggle and believe our people will be the victors in this war.


Press Release - October 23/92

Barzani And Talabani's Plans Have Passed Into The Hands Of The ARGK

On October 22, ARGK (People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan, armed
wing of PKK) guerrillas raided a meeting of KDP and PUK commanders
in the Haftanin area of north Iraq. 5 commanders were killed in the
attack and 3 taken prisoner. From documents seized it has become
clear that there is a trilateral committee composed of one PUK
commander, one KDP commander and a senior Turkish major with direct
access to the Turkish High Command, directing the operations of the
peshmergas. Most of the heavy weaponry sent to the peshmergas by
Turkey is being used by Turkish officers and troops. The captured
peshmerga commanders said all plans of military operations were
formulated by Turkish officers. Provisions are also being sent from
Turkey and delivered to the battle by mule. Masoud Barzani is also
reported to be directing operations through couriers. Peshmerga
commanders also stressed there was great disquiet in the ranks of
the peshmerga fighters.
     Turkish helicopters have been participating in attacks in the
last two day but guerrilla commanders say they are not troubled at
all by aerial attacks.
     Guerrilla sources in Mardin, Turkish Kurdistan, claim that
Turkey is trying to suppress news of guerrilla actions in Turkey
due to the situation in Iraq. Around 40 Turkish soldiers are
reported killed in guerrilla attacks on military posts in Mardin,
Batman and Siirt provinces and 8 village guards have also been
killed. 3 villagers are reported to have been shot out of hand by
Turkish troops in Gulkur village near Dargecit in Mardin province,
and Berekli village near Idil in Sirnak province is reported to
have been surrounded by Turkish troops and besieged for 4 days.
Protests against the attacks by the PUK and KDP against the PKK are
continuing. In Gercus, Batman, shopkeepers closed their shops for
a second day and thousands of people are reported to be clamouring
to join the ARGK guerrillas.

Kurdistan Information Centre


To international organizations, governments, national parliaments,
political parties, human rights bodies and world public opinion:

Elections To A National Assembly For All People Of Kurdistan Have
Been Launched

     The Kurdish people, numbering over 30 million, are the largest
nation in the world which is partitioned and without its own state.
Their national democratic rights and identities have been usurped
over the centuries by states which have occupied our land and
imposed a war of annihilation on our people. The present status of
the Kurdish people in the Middle East is one that conflicts with
universal standards.
     In our country, which has seen countless rebellions, our
people's desire for independence and freedom has not been
extinguished. In the 1970's, particularly, various political views
on a national basis were espoused in the different parts of
Kurdistan. The national liberation struggle being waged in
Kurdistan today has affected all sections of society. Particularly
in north Kurdistan which is under the domination of Turkey,
millions of people are struggling for their rights of self-
determination, independence and freedom despite all kinds of state
terror. In the same way the Kurdish people in Syria, Iran, Iraq and
those Kurds living in different continents have embraced this
demand and created a great national unity.
     Today in Kurdistan there is a war situation. In this war the
Turkish state in particular uses all methods of destruction at its
disposal with absolute disregard for international norms of war.
It does not accept the principle of prisoner of war status and by
its attacks and atrocities towards the civilian population has
adopted a policy of genocide. The Turkish army of one million is
in a continuous state of attack - aerial and ground - and is now
using two collaborationist Kurdish parties that represent a small
minority in the south of our country to carry out a policy of
"pitting Kurd against Kurd".
     Calls by our national liberation struggle for a democratic
political solution to the Kurdish question, for a ceasefire and
talks, have been rejected outright by Turkey.
     The Turkish parliament, far from being a body that can
represent the Kurdish people, is an institition that us an
associate of Turkish militarism, that is based on the policy of
annihilation. The legislation it ratifies is in line with this
policy.
     Worldwide developments, the situation of our people and the
colonialist states' war of annihilation have made it imperative to
summon the "National Assembly of Kurdistan". The Preparation
Commission which was composed on June 7, 1992, has begun work on
the assembly amongst all the Kurdish people and election dates have
been fixed for the next few months. According to the conditions
prevailing in north Kurdistan, Syria, Iraq and Iran the elections
for the National Assembly will be carried out in a democratic
manner. The "National Assembly of Kurdistan" will be the highest
body representing the people of Kurdistan. The assembly will pass
laws in all fields which interest the Kurdish nation and be the
only body representing them in the international arena.
     Half a million Kurds living in the Soviet Union and 700,000
living in Europe will also participate in the elections. These
elections will be held in Europe on November 20-22, 1992. The
elections for the "National Assembly of Kurdistan" will be held in
a democratic way and in two stages. At the first stage the people
will elect delegates on a regional basis. At the second stage these
delegates will elect 300 deputies according to the size of the
population they represent. All elections procedures will be carried
out in a just way by the "General Election Committee".
     This highest institution will be the legitimate representative
body of the Kurdish people all over the world. The "National
Assembly of Kurdistan" will give direction to our people's future.
     Any association, group or parties outside this or the "local
assembly" established in south Kurdistan with the support of Turkey
and the U.S. does not represent the general will of the Kurdish
people.

October 20, 1992

Kurdistan National Assembly Preparation Commission


Press Release - October 21/92

Clashes In South Kurdistan Split KDP/PUK Forces

     It has been confirmed that 4 ministers from the Arbil-based
Kurdistan Front government resigned 2 days ago. The ministers are
Molla Muhammed Abdulhadi, Religious Affairs Minister; Idris Hadi,
Minister for Public Works; Munin Brifkan, Minister of Transport and
Communications; and Selahaddin, Finance Minister. Three of the
minister are from the KDP and one from the PUK. The reason they
gave for their resignation was that the KDP and PUK have not ended
their attacks on the PKK. They said the clashes only helped the
Turkish state. Sources there say that other resignations are on the
cards.
     After suffering heavy casualties in the Haftanin region, many
peshmergas have given up their arms and gone back to Suleymaniye.
Sources state that for the first time the peshmergas have announced
that they have been unsuccessful against the ARGK guerrillas. In
clashes which have been going on since yesterday evening, 20
peshmergas have died. Turkish army units have withdrawn across the
border near Haftanin.

Kurdistan Information Centre


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