Ocalan: "Saddam Cannot Solve The Ku

[kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu]

From: Arm The Spirit <ats at locust.cic.net>
Subject: Ocalan: "Saddam Cannot Solve The Kurdish Question Alone"

Ocalan: "Saddam Cannot Solve The Kurdish Question Alone"

The head of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, has
stated in an interview with the French magazine Le Figaro that "the
Kurdish question cannot be solved without the PKK. We are the key to the
solution, even the USA has recognized and understood that recently."
Ocalan, who gave the interview to Le Figaro "somewhere in the Middle
East", stated further that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein "cannot solve
the Kurdish question alone. If he approaches Turkey, then the USA and
Iran become afraid. If he approaches the Kurds, Turkey gets afraid."

Ocalan stated that the PKK had opened a "new front" in the south of
Turkey in the provinces of Antakia and Iskenderun, which border Syria
and which Damascus claims are rightfully its territory. But he denied
that any attacks were launched from Syria: "I am not a card in the hands
of Syria. The Syrians need us as much as we need them."

In answer to the question of Kurdistan's future, Ocalan called for a
"federal solution, with Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. There can a federal
parliament and the Turkish parliament, but we do not seek to separate
Kurdish areas from the states in which history has placed them."

Ocalan stated in the interview that his party at the moment has "15,000
guerrillas, including 4,000 women". Half of these operate inside of
Turkey, while the other half are based in northern Iraq. Ocalan
acknowledged that there were "power struggles" within the PKK and the
involvement of local leaders in the destruction of villages and the
deaths of civilians. He stated that some PKK units had set villages on
fire and killed civilians, against his orders. "I am against the killing
of civilians," Ocalan said, "but the truth is, some of these acts were
committed by PKK fighters."

(Translated by Arm The Spirit from Kurdistan-Rundbrief #25-26/96)
 
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