Genocide in Turkey, Media Conspirac

[ww at nyxfer.blythe.org]

From: Workers World Service <ww at nyxfer.blythe.org>
Subject: Genocide in Turkey, Media Conspiracy in US


Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit


GENOCIDE IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY, MEDIA CONSPIRACY IN THE U.S.

By Ali Azad

Webster's Dictionary defines "genocide" as the "systematic
killing of, or a program of action intended to destroy, a whole
national or ethnic group."

In the past several months the Turkish military has intensified a
massive campaign of terror in southeastern Turkey--also known as
Kurdistan. This campaign amounts to nothing less than genocide of
the Kurds.

One of Turkey's military commanders has called this campaign "the
biggest military operation in recent history."

More than 300,000 troops--armed to the teeth with the most
sophisticated weapons made in and shipped from the U.S.--are
involved in a campaign of terror against the Kurdish people and
their political organizations.

Furthermore, Turkey's own human-rights minister, Azimet
Koyluoglu, called Turkey's war against the Kurds "state
terrorism."

Over 15 million Kurds live in Turkey--mostly in the southeastern
part of the country. To this day Kurds are barred from
broadcasting or publishing in their native language, Kurdish.

The Kurdish struggle for human rights and self-determination in
Turkey is many decades old. What is new is that since 1984 this
struggle has been organized under the leadership of the Kurdistan
Workers Party, a socialist organization.

The Ankara government's "scorched-earth" policy has made over 2
million Kurds homeless so far. The Turkish army has pillaged and
razed close to 1,500 villages, forcing inhabitants to evacuate.

An Associated Press reporter filed this account of the events in
one of these villages in southeastern Turkey: " ... roofs are
burned and walls toppled. Books lie among broken glass. A pair of
baby shoes sit on a dirt path out of town. Army roadblocks keep
journalists from side roads leading to many of the villages
reportedly burned.

"But people living near Agarti Koyu pointed out a way to reach
the ghost town undetected. Only a few belongings escaped the
flames: a plastic sandal, an infant's blouse, a carved walking
stick. ... in the towns of Sirnak and Hakkari people are forced
to live on the river banks."

The directors of the "mainstream" media here make sure this kind
of reporting about the Turkish army's butchery in Kurdistan
doesn't reach a mass audience of progressive workers and
oppressed people in this country.

But what is behind the U.S. media's conspiracy, the almost total
cover-up of news and information about this enormous act of
genocide?

The United Nations arms register, an annual ledger of all the
sales and purchases of arms around the world, says that in 1993
United States arms makers sold 932 battle tanks to Turkey. That's
more than to any other country.

Overall, Turkey is the third largest recipient of foreign aid
from Washington. The Pentagon operates close to 14 air bases
there.

The U.S. carried out its 1991 invasion of Iraq from these bases.

The reactionary government in Turkey plays a pivotal role in
implementing the Pentagon's plan for domination of the Middle
East. In turn, the Turkish regime receives not only financial and
military aid from its backers in the White House, but also
assistance in public relations.

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