22 July 2005

1. "'PKK summit'to be held in August", Turkey, Iraq and USA are to hold a 'PKK summit' in August in the US capital of Washington, Turkish media reports.

2. "Soldier, two Kurdish rebels killed in Turkey clash", one Turkish soldier and two Kurdish rebels were killed Thursday in a gunbattle in southeastern Van province, which abuts Iran, local security sources said.

3. "HPG warning to Turkish military: 'You will fall into a quagmire'", HPG (People’s Defence Forces) Commandership Headquarters replied with a strong warning to the Turkish administration and the Turkish military commander’s statements where they threatened that, "if necessary we will enter northern Iraq (southern Kurdistan)".

4. "Kurdish leaders present redrawn map with larger Kurdistan", Kurdish leaders have presented a redrawn map with a larger Kurdistan to the Iraqi National Assembly for consideration in the new constitution, a Kurdish party official said Thursday.

5. "PUK is preparing military operations against the PJAK", Iran’s failure in getting successful results against the PJAK (Free Life Party of Kurdistan) guerrillas has led to them asking for help from the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) to conduct joint military operations in Asos Mountains against the Kurdish guerrillas.

6. "Armenian genocide added to German textbooks", the province of Brandenburg in Germany decided late Wednesday to add the subject of the Armenian genocide claims to their history textbooks.

1. - Doza.Me - "'PKK summit' to be held in August":

21 July 2004

Turkey, Iraq and USA are to hold a 'PKK summit' in August in the US capital of Washington, Turkish media reports.

This is the second 'PKK summit' this year held by the three countries. In the last summit in January, the countries agreed to create an joint intelligence mechanism to make the sharing of information on PKK easier between themselves. During the summit, Turkey gave USA and Iraq a list of current and former KONGRA-GEL leaders that they wanted arrested and handed over to the Turkish military.

The parts also agreed to continue their three-part meetings and summits regarding the PKK on different state levels. The next summit is expected to be held in the first week of August.

2. - AFP - "Soldier, two Kurdish rebels killed in Turkey clash":

DIYARBAKIR / 21 July 2005

One Turkish soldier and two Kurdish rebels were killed Thursday in a gunbattle in southeastern Van province, which abuts Iran, local security sources said.
The clash erupted when a group of militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) opened fire on soldiers patrolling a rural zone, the sources said.

Another soldier was wounded and a security operation is under way, they said.

Violence in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast resumed in June 2004 after a five-year lull when the PKK called off a unilateral ceasefire on grounds that Ankara was not doing enough to expand Kurdish freedoms.

The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has claimed some 37,000 lives since 1984, when the PKK took up arms against Ankara.

3. - MHA - "HPG warning to Turkish military: 'You will fall into a quagmire'":

KURDISTAN / 20 July 2005

HPG (People’s Defence Forces) Commandership Headquarters replied with a strong warning to the Turkish administration and the Turkish military commander’s statements where they threatened that, "if necessary we will enter northern Iraq (southern Kurdistan)".

The HPG stated that any possible incursion into southern Kurdistan by the Turkish military will be dealt by strong opposition and any possible military operation in southern Kurdistan will turn into a quagmire for the Turkish military. In the message, they stated that the real aim of the Turkish government is to damage the rights recently earned by the people of South Kurdistan and create obstacles for the USA.

HPG pointed out that the recent Turkish military operations against their guerrillas ended without any results.

"The AKP (Islamist Justice and Development Party) administration’s policies of denial and annihilation took them to nowhere and that is why they are bringing forward military operations beyond their borders", HPG's statement said.

It was stated that the real aim of an incursion into southern Kurdistan by the Turkish government is to create more chaos and destabilize the situation in Iraq.

The statement reads as follows:

"Despite the fact that the Turkish government clearly stated their wish to enter southern Kurdistan following their unsuccessful military operations in Botan, Amed and Dersim, it is clear that Turkish military will not be able to get a result in southern Kurdistan where the HPG are strong quantitatively and in quality. This is well known by the AKP and the Turkish military.

As HPG fighters, we are stating that any possible incursion by the Turkish military into southern Kurdistan is doomed to fail and we will create a quagmire in the area and we are more then ready for the possible attacks by the Turkish forces in southern Kurdistan."

4. - AP - "Kurdish leaders present redrawn map with larger Kurdistan":

KIRKUK / 22 July 2005

Kurdish leaders have presented a redrawn map with a larger Kurdistan to the Iraqi National Assembly for consideration in the new constitution, a Kurdish party official said Thursday.

The map reflected long-standing Kurdish claims that stretches their territory south toward the capital of Baghdad -- well beyond the boundaries of the current Kurdish autonomous area.

"The Kurdistan parliament and Kurdish parties have ratified and agreed on this map. We want this map to be part of the constitution," said Mullah Bakhtiyar, a senior official with the Kurdish Democratic Party, one of the two main Kurdish political parties.

The Kurdish demand was unlikely to be well-received by Sunnis and Shiites on the constitutional commission and could further complicate efforts to complete the draft charter by the Aug. 15 deadline.

The southern boundaries of the proposed Kurdish-controlled area would include the towns of Badra and Jassan, about 90 miles southeast of Baghdad.

"We need an official map that marks the boundaries of Kurdistan in the federal Iraq. This redrawn map is based on historical and geographical facts and we are determined to stick to this map," Bakhtiyar said.

"In any negotiations, we might be ready to seek compromises on some political privileges or ministerial posts, but the boundary of Kurdistan is a red line, and Kurdish leaders are committed to this," he said.

The northern Kurdish-ruled region has been autonomous since 1991, when the area enjoyed U.S. and British protection from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In the drafting of a new Iraqi constitution, Kurdish leaders have been pushing hard for a federalist system, which would have strong regional governments.

Bakhtiyar said some people in the committee -- notably Sunni Arabs -- oppose the idea of federalism because they are afraid that this would be a step toward dividing Iraq, but "they are wrong because federalism is the best guarantee for a united Iraq."

The Kurds, Washington’s most reliable allies in Iraq, comprise 15 percent to 20 percent of Iraq’s estimated 27 million people. Together with the Shiite majority, they had been oppressed for decades by the Sunni Arab minority.

5. - MHA - "PUK is preparing military operations against the PJAK":

KURDISTAN / 20 July 2005

Iran’s failure in getting successful results against the PJAK (Free Life Party of Kurdistan) guerrillas has led to them asking for help from the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) to conduct joint military operations in Asos Mountains against the Kurdish guerrillas.

Iranian forces conducted several military operations against the PJAK guerrillas in the mountains of Asos, close to the city of Meriwan, but they had to pull back their army in defeat. However this time Iranian security forces asked PUK officials in Iraq to clear the area from the guerrillas.

Agreeing with Iran, PUK has now ordered several thousand of its peshmergas to move towards the Asos Mountain to fight against the Kurdish guerrillas.

The PJAK called the PUK for dialogue but the PUK replied saying, “If it is necessary, we will take you out from there by using force.”

6. - The New Anatolian - "Armenian genocide added to German textbooks":

BRANDENBURG / 22 July 2005

The province of Brandenburg in Germany decided late Wednesday to add the subject of the Armenian genocide claims to their history textbooks.

Brandenburg Education Minister Holger Rupprecht introduced the content of the school syllabus to the Brandenburg Cabinet on Wednesday. The program will be presented to the teachers and will be implemented in the next school term.

Rupprecht stated that they expect objections from the Turkish government but that they will not pay them any heed.

The province previously included the Armenian genocide claims in last year's school syllabus but the subject was removed from history textbooks as a result of protests from the Turkish Consulate General in Germany. The ministry went back on last year's decision and put the controversial Armenian issue back into the textbooks reportedly due to German news reports saying, "Germany gave into pressure from Turkey."