TDN 2 Nov.

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

 United States hits PKK parliament's meeting in Moscow
'No civilized country should provide legitimacy to PKK'

Amb. Kandemir sends letter to US Congressmen who want to recognize PKK
parliament

By Ugur Akinci

Turkish Daily News
  _________________________________________________________________

WASHINGTON/ANKARA- U.S. State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns on
Tuesday said the Clinton Administration has relayed its concerns to
the Russian government concerning the meeting of the so-called
"Kurdish Parliament-in-Exile" at the Russian Parliament building in
Moscow. Burns said the "Kurdish parliament" was financed by the PKK.

The Russian Foreign Ministry the same day denounced the meeting and
denied any part. But, despite strong protests from Ankara, it did not
intervene in the meeting, which continued on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Omer Akbel on Wednesday said the
Russian explanations had not satisfied Ankara, arguing that, despite
Moscow's statement, nothing had been done to prevent the meeting.

"The (Russian) explanation will be taken note of but such explanations
have failed to satisfy Turkey. It falls on the Russian side to rapidly
heal the wound caused to Turkish-Russian relations, otherwise, Turkey
will negatively draw the necessary conclusions," Akbel told a press
briefing.

In Washington the U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed to the TDN
that the meeting was in progress, "I know the Kurdish
Parliament-in-exile, KPIE, is holding meeting in Moscow from October
29 to tomorrow, November 1," Burns said.

"As we have acted with other European countries in the past, when KPIE
was held in those countries, as the case with Netherlands a couple of
months ago, we shared our concerns about this organization with the
Russian government.

This is an organization which is financed directly by the PKK,
Kurdistan Workers' Party. That is a vicious terrorist organization
that attacks Turkey and Western Europe, threatens the lives of
Americans, as well as Turks and other nationalities. We repeatedly
made it clear that neither the PKK nor the KPIE should acquire or
receive any legitimacy, any support, any hospitality from civilized
countries." the U.S. official said. Burns also added that the Russian
Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying they are opposed to holding
this meeting in Moscow.

Burns noted that it a very encouraging statement to see from his
colleague, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman. The Russian Foreign
Ministry, keen to avoid tension with Turkey, on Tuesday condemned a
meeting of the Kurdish separatist parliament-in-exile in Moscow,
Reuters said Tuesday quoting the Russian wire service Tass.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry denounces such actions and declares that
official Russian authorities have nothing to do with them," Tass
quoted a ministry statement as saying. The statement said the meeting,
organized by a Russian parliamentary committee, had originally been
billed as a scientific seminar.

"Russia consistently favors developing comprehensive, mutually
beneficial relations with neighboring, friendly Turkey," the statement
said. "It does not back or encourage separatist tendencies wherever
they might come from."

Turkey protested Moscow on Tuesday over the development. Ankara's
protest note was handed to Russian Ambassador Vadim Kuznetsov, to add
to the two earlier notes handed to the Russian Foreign Ministry in
Moscow.

Omer Akbel, the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, described the
meeting as "seriously overshadowing and damaging to Turco-Russian
relations."

Akbel said the meeting disappointed earlier expectations that Russia
would act with determination (against the Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) believed to be stage-managing the KPIE) in keeping with
bilateral relations.

Amb. Kandemir's letter

On Tuesday, Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir sent a letter to all the
members of the U.S. Congress who sent a letter to president Clinton on
Oct. 6 urging the recognition of the Kurdish Parliament-in-exile.

"As you must very well know, the idea for the creation of such an
organization was inspired by the PKK terrorist organization," Kandemir
said. He reminded that some former DEP parliamentarians were involved
in the formation of this parliament.

"It is no coincidence, therefore, that during a July 22, 1994 briefing
at the Helsinki Commission, Mr. Remzi Kartal stated that 'we do not
view the PKK as a terrorist organization,'" Kandemir said.

After recalling the State Department's view that the PKK is a brutal
terrorist organization, Kandemir said, "in the light of the above, it
is equally disturbing to note that you and your distinguished
colleagues would even choose to support Mr. Kartal and his agenda."

The Oct. 6 letter to President Clinton was signed by the following
members of the U.S. Congress: Porter; Andrews (Robert); Eshoo;
Traficant; Torres; Brown (George); Towns; Pallone; Maloney; Jacobs;
Furse; Oberstar; Lewis (John); Davis (Thomas); Hinchey; Lipinski;
Brown (Sherrod); Ackerman; Fox; Cardin; and Meehan.

The letter said: "We have reason to believe that these two gentlemen
[i.e. Kartal and George Aryo] are sincere in their mission to seek a
nonviolent political solution to the Kurdish question.

We should give them a chance by recognizing the Kurdish
Parliament-in-exile as the body to resolve the Kurdish quarrel with
the Turks by means other than the force of arms. A dialogue between
representatives of these recently estranged peoples, the Kurdish
Parliament-in-exile and the Turkish government, if encouraged by the
United States and supported by the international community, probably
holds out the only prospect for peace in the region."
  _________________________________________________________________

 Russia denounces Kurdish 'parliament' session

Reuters
  _________________________________________________________________


MOSCOW- The Russian Foreign Ministry, keen to avoid tension with
Turkey, on Tuesday condemned a meeting of the Kurdish separatist
parliament-in-exile in Moscow, Itar-Tass news agency said.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry denounces such actions and declares that
official Russian authorities have nothing to do with them," Tass
quoted a ministry statement as saying.

The statement said the meeting, organised by a Russian parliamentary
committee, had originally been billed as a scientific seminar.

"Russia consistently favours developing comprehensive, mutually
beneficial relations with neighbouring, friendly Turkey," the
statement said. "It does not back or encourage separatist tendencies
wherever they might come from." Turkey, which says the
parliament-in-exile is controlled by armed Kurdish extremists, has
protested to Russia about the meeting.

The Kurds inaugurated their "parliament-in-exile" in The Hague in
April, sparking a diplomatic incident between the Netherlands and
Ankara. Turkey suspended Dutch military purchases and recalled its
ambassador.

The assembly last met for a four-day session in the Austrian capital
in August.


---
 * Origin: APS Amsterdam (aps.nl), bbs +31-20-6842147 (16:31/2.0)