Iraq before and after the war

Iraq before and after the war

US soldiers taunt Iraqi children in Facebook video

An Alaska-based soldier is under investigation for a video on his Facebook page that taunts smiling Iraqi children by asking if they're gay, if they engage in certain sex acts and if they would grow up to be terrorists.

Published: 7:00AM BST 25 May 2010

The two young boys did not appear to understand the questions, which were in English, but smiled at the camera and at times flashed the "thumbs up" gestures during the 30-second clip.
Spc. Robert A. Rodriguez, who is based at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, was ordered to remove the video from his site, Army spokesman Maj. Bill Coppernoll said.

"The incident is currently under investigation, and the Army will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation," he said.

It wasn't immediately clear if Rodriguez shot the video or just posted it.
The video was "disgraceful and clearly inconsistent" with standards expected of every soldier, Maj Coppernoll said.

North Carolina television station WRAL first reported the video after another soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright shared it with friends, who took their concerns to the station.
WRAL aired part of the video and quoted from Rodriquez's Facebook page before the site was made private.

Above the Facebook video posting, which was titled, "future gay terrorist!," is written, "i got bored in iraq ... so I kept myself entertained!"

The boys are shown on a dirt road, facing a camera.
A voice is heard asking the boys, "Are you going to grow up to be a terrorist?"
When the boys show two thumbs up, the voice on the video says, "Yeah. All right. Cool. Yeah, terrorist."

"For anybody to be so cruel and disrespectful to children of any country but especially a country that we are occupying is really disgraceful and repugnant," said Tim Stallard, a spokesman for Alaskans Together for Equality.

The anti-gay bias is disturbing, also, he said.
"It's ugly, as well, and it's sorry to see anybody expressing such unfortunate and strong bias against gay people," he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/7762290/US-soldiers-taunt-Iraqi-children-in-Facebook-video.html

The state emblem of Turkmenistan

The state emblem and flag are based on national traditions and steer clear of political symbols.

The number of stars represent the five velayats - Ahal, Balkan, Dashhowuz, Lebap, and Mary.

The crescent signifies the hopes of Turkmens for a bright future.The green colour has been traditionally revered by Turkmens, as has red, while carpet patterns are a symbol of Turkmen traditional political, social, cultural and religious views.

An Akhaltekin horse is the pride of Turkmens, while a wheat ear alludes to the custom of greeting guests with bread and salt.

EBRU SERGİSİ-Kerküklü Ersen Beyatlı ve Müjde Yahyaoğlu Renklerin Suyla Dansında Eserlerini Sergiledi.

EBRU SERGİSİ-Kerküklü Ersen Beyatlı ve Müjde Yahyaoğlu Renklerin Suyla Dansında Eserlerini Sergiledi.


Koç Üniversitesi öğrencilerinden Ebru sanatçıları bir grup genç ilk kez Ebru Sergisi düzenledi. Uzun süreden beri Ebru ustası Mehmet Eray Atay’dan aldıkları özel eğitim sayesinde ilk meyvesini İstanbul İstiklal Cad. Hayriye Sok. Cezayir Sanat Galerisinde sergilendi.

Sergide Kerküklü Ersen Beyatlı (Kerkük 1985) ve Müjde Yahyaoğlu (Kerkük 1990) beşer tabloyla izlerini sergide gösterdi. Son yıllarda yoğun ilgi çeken Ebru sanatı bir anlamıyla renklerin suda dansı olarak ta tarif edilmektedir. Özel merak ve yetenek gerektiren Ebru Sanatı usta çırak ilişkisinin büyük katkısı olan bir sanat dalı olduğu bilinmektedir.

Özel ilgi ve eğitim gerektiren Ebru sanatı hakkında tablolarını bize anlatan Ersen Beyatlı şöyle konuştu:Çok sabır ve titizlik gerektiren bir sanat dalı; usta çırak ilişkileri sayesinde ancak öğrenebilirsiniz. Çok eskilere dayanan ve şimdiye kadar Türk sanatında kendini gösteren bir sanat dalıdır. Kullanılan malzemeler hemen hemen doğal ve özeldir. Her tablo için özel ders gerektirir, her konu için ayrı bir atmosfer ve çalışma gerektiren bir sanat. Sergiye katılan sanatçıların genç olmasını (20-25 yaşarası) Müjde Yahyaoğlu’ya şöyle aktardı bizlere:Hocamızın desteğiyle ve atölyede beraber çalıştığımız arkadaşlarımızın ortak bir fikri idi bu sergi. Genç yeteneğin böyle bir sanat mirasına sahip çıkması sergiye ayrı bir özellik kattı.

Çok şükür ilk günden büyük bir ilgi gördü sergimiz. Ayrıca iki Kerküklü Türkmen’inde böyle bir sergide yer alması gurur vericidir.

Ziyaretçilerin ilgisine sergi iki ayrı tarihlerde ve ayrı salonlarda devam edecektir:

Cezayir Sanat Galerisi (İstiklal Cad. Hayriye Sok.) 15 – 18 Mayıs 2010 Saat: 10.00 – 18.00

Koç Üniversitesi Sanat Galerisi. 20-31 Mayıs 2010 Saat: 10.00 – 18.00

İstanbul Muhabiri

http://www.bizturkmeniz.com/tr/index.asp?page=article&id=19263

Telafer’de iki ayrı saldırı: 25 ölü 125 yaralı

Cuma 14 Mayıs 2010

Türkmenlere karşı bitmek bilmiyen saldırılar çerçrevesinde Telafer’de biri bombalı araç, diğeri de intihar eylemcisinin düzenlediği iki saldırıda en az 25 kişinin şehit düştüğü bildirildi.
Polis kaynakları, Telafer kentindeki bir futbol maçında düzenlenen saldırılarda yaklaşık 125 kişinin de yaralandığını belirtti.

Yarası ağır olan 17 yaralının Duhok’ta bulunan hastaneye nakledildi.
Saldırılar üzerine Telafer'de sokağa çıkma yasağı ilan edildi.

MUSTAFA KEMAL YAYÇILI'YI RAHMETLE ANIYORUZ

MUSTAFA KEMAL YAYÇILI'YI RAHMETLE ANIYORUZ
Sadun KÖPRÜLÜ




Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı, büyük bir mücadeleci Türkmen lideridir yıllardan beri milli Türkmencilik davasına katılarak, uzun yıllardan bu milli duygu yolunda tüm varlığını adayan bir kahraman yiğittir, onun milli davası günümüzde bir altın ışık olarak yollarımızı aydınlatmaktadır.

Türkmen şehitlerimiz mücadeleci Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı ile, Fazıl Namık’ı gibi kahraman şehitlerimizle tüm şehitlerimizle unutmayacağız bundan 6 sene önce 14.5.2004 tarihinde şehit olmuştur, Mustafa kemal yaycılı ile Fazıl Namık şehitlerimiz her zaman bir umut diye gönlümüzde yaşayacaklar ve davaları yiğit gençlerimiz erlerimiz tarafından ölene tek sürecektir, destan olacaktır..

Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı büyük bir mücadeleci Türkmen lideridir, yıllardan beri milli Türkmencilik davasına katılarak uzun yıllardan bu milli duygusu yolunda tüm varlığını adayan bir kahraman yiğittir, onun milli davası bir altın ışık olarak milli dava yollarımızı aydınlatacaktır.

Türkmen şehitlerimiz mücadeleci Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı ile Fazıl Namık’ı şehitlerimizle tüm şehitlerimiz unutmayacağız bundan 6 sene önce 14.5.2004 tarihinde şehit olmuştur Mustafa kemal yaycılı ile Fazıl Namık şehitlerimiz her zaman ölmeden gönlümüzde yaşayacaktır, ve davaları yiğit gençlerimiz erlerimiz tarafından sonsuza tek sürecektir..

Mustafa Kemal hiçbir zaman ölümü düşünmedi, hiçbir zaman yolundan milli davasından, yüce Türkmen milletinden vazgeçmedi, gece gündüz yorgunluk bilmeden çalıştı, durdu, ben onu uzun yıllardan beri hapishanede olduğum sıralardan tanımaktayım, Erbil Türkmen şehrinde uzun çalışma mücadelesi ile ilk defa olarak okullar açmıştır.

Türkçe eğitimi başlattı Uzun yıllar Milli Türkmen partisinde çalışarak başkan olmuştur, ilk önce Doğuş okulunu sonradan Türkçe okulların açmasında büyük katkısı olmuştur, bunun yanında İlk defa olarak Türkmeneli gazetesi ve Doğuş gazetesini yayınlamıştır.

Ana muhalefetin Amerika, İngiltere, Irak’ta tüm toplantılarına katılarak Türkmen milletinin haklarının verilmesini istemiştir ve savunmuştur. birçok siyası seminer düzenlemiştir Türkmen sorumuna yakından bir çözüm bulmaya yıllarını vermiştir.

Şehit Mustafa Kemal Saddam rejimi düştükten sonra hiç beklemeden hızla dava arkadaşlarını toplayarak Kerkük’e dönmeye karar vermiştir, Kerkük’te her bir yanda dava arkadaşlarıyla Irak Türkmen Cephesi ve Türkmen milli bayrağını asmışlardır, Kerkük meclisinde Türkmenlere hak kazanmak için durmadan yorulmadan çabalar göstermiştir.

Türkmen milleti uğrunda çalışmalar karşı taraf düşmanlarda rahatsız olmuşlardır, artık onu nasıl ortadan kaldıracaklar planlar başlatmışlardır, bir iki defa ölümden şehidimiz kurtardı, ama düşman hiçbir zaman uyuyamadı onu bir gün önce ortalıktan kaldırmasalar başlarının belası olacağını çalışmalarını engellemelerini düşünerek namertçesine planlar çizmeye başladır ve kahraman yiğidimizi Dava arkadaşı şehit Fazıl Namık ile birlikte, şehit ettiler.

Ama bunu iyice bilmediler ki bu büyük millet her zaman gözünü açınca binlerce Necdetler Koçaklar, Albay Abdullahlar, Rıza Demirciler, Adıl Şerifler, Mehmet Korkmazlar, Rüştüler, Salıhıler, Celi, Kemal Terziler, Mustafa Kemalleri ve başkalarını yitirmiştir ve yetirmektedir.

Şehidimiz Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı ve geçmişinden

Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı 1955 yılında dünyaya Kerkük Yaycı köyünde göz açmıştır, ilkokulu, ortaokulu merkeziye okulunda, liseyi Kerkük’te okumuştur şehidimiz lise döneminde arkadaşları ile birlikte politika alanına atılarak yoğun olarak çalışmaya başlamıştır, Eski Saddam rejimine karşı birçok siyası eylemlerde önde olarak, milliyetçi Türkmen davasıyla ilgilenerek, korku bilmeden yardım göstermiştir.

Mustafa Kemal Eğitimini Türkiye’de sürdürmeye hızla yaklaşarak, Milli mücadele tüm varlığıyla başlayarak Saddam rejimi tarafından defalarca tehdit baskıya maruz kalmıştır.

Mustafa Kemal 1975 yılında Üniversiteyi Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi İnşaat fakültesinden mezun olarak İstanbul İktisadi Ticari ilimler Akademisi işletme fakültesinden lisansüstü eğitim almıştı.

Mustafa Kemal 1987 – 1991 yıllar arası Irak Türkmen Kültür ve yardımlaşma derneğinde görev almıştır 1991 -1996 yılları Kuzey Irak’ta Irak Milli Türkmen partisinde çeşitli görevlerde bulunmuştur.

Yaycılı 1995 yılında ilk defa kurulan Irak Türkmen Cephesi yönetim kurulu üyesi olmuştur.

18 – 20 Ağustos 1966 da Irak milli Türkmen Cephesi Erbil’de yapılan ikinci genel kuruluşunda parti genel başkanı olmuştur.

1997 Ekimde düzenlenen ilk Türkmen kurultayında vekâleten başkanlığı yürütmüştür, ayrıca Londra’da Irak Türkmen Cephesi temsilciliğini yapmıştır.

Mustafa Kemal 2002 Aralık ayında Londra’da düzenlenen Iraklı muhalefetin toplantısına Türkmen delegeleri arasında yer almıştır, 2002 Ocak ayında Kuzey Irak’ta yapılan Irak Türkmen Cephesinin üçüncü genel kurulunda ise partinin onursal başkanı olmuştur.

Mustafa Kemal canını, kanını bu milli Türkçülük davasına vererek, milletimizin milli haklarını yıllar boyunca korumakla, Saddam rejimi düştükten hemen sonra durmadan beklemeden tüm dava kan kardeşlerini toplayarak milli Türkmen haklarını savunmak üzere Kerkük Türkmen şehrine girmiştir her bir yere milli Türkmen bayrağını Irak Türkmen Cephesinin bayrağını asarak Türkmenlerin haklarını elde etmek için tüm yorgunluk çalışmalara katılmıştır.

Yayçılı Türkmenleri her bir yerde savunarak Kerkük valilik meclisinden protesto etmek için meclisten çekilmiştir, bunun yanında Araplarda onu desteklemekle yardımcı olmuşlardır, Protesto sonucu mecliste iki Türkmen üyelik yer kazanmıştır.

Mustafa Kemal şehit olmadan birkaç ay önce Irak Milli Türkmen partisi genel başkanı seçilmiştir.

Şehidimiz Yaycılı 15 Mayıs 2004 Cumartesi Saat 11-00 Kerkük’ün Tuzhurmatu kesiminde ateş açılarak bir saldırı sonucu dava arkadaşı Fazıl Namık ile liderimiz şehit olmuşlardır.

Şehit liderimizi hiçbir zaman büyük Türk milleti unutmayacaktır, yeni kuşaklarımız atılgan erlerimiz hep milli Türkçülük milli davasıyla yollarını aydınlatacaklardır. Çünkü hiçbir zaman liderler ölemezler davaları sonsuza tek sürecektir yeni ışıkları parlak umutlu günleri doğdurmak için aydınlatmak için artık Mustafa Kemal’in milli Türklük bayrağını Kerkük, Erbil, Altunköprü, Musul, Tuzhurmatu, Mendili, Hanekın, Aziziye, tüm Türkmeneli topraklarında, yerlerinde yiğit erlerimiz, gençlerimiz taşmaya devam edeceklerdir...



ŞEHİT LİDER MUSTAFA KEMAL YAYÇILI’NI

ANARKEN



Yüreğimiz dert bastı, Kerkük’ten geçti bugün

Zalim düşman yiğidim, bir daha seçti bugün

Yeni şehit eklendi, Albümümü açtı bugün

Doğuş okulun koran, gitti Yaycılı Kemal

Soysuz ırkçı düşmanlar, yıktı Yaycılı Kemal

¨ ¨ ¨

Mavi Türkmen bayrağın, tüm gücüyle taşardı

Yiğitlik adresiyle, içimizde yaşardı

Millet aşk duygusuyla, Türklük ile coşardı

Yüce tarihe yazdın, adın Yaycılı Kemal

Sana ağlıyor erkek, kadın Yaycılı Kemal

¨ ¨ ¨

Umudumuz Türk tarihin, bize rehber olacak

Gönlümüzde sevgini, yaşayacak dolacak

Sana el uzatanlar, cazsını bulacak

Milli Türkmen bayrağın, erler taşar Kemal’im

Senin liderliğinle, ölüm aşar Kemal’im

¨ ¨ ¨

Türkmen gençlere bir bak, ayrılmadı dizinden

Türkçe okul radyoyla, birlik oldu sözünden

Yolumuz çok parlaktır, uzak gören gözünden

Türklükle gök katına, çıktın Yaycılı Kemal

Çaresiz boynumuzu, büktün Yaycılı Kemal

¨ ¨ ¨

Kemal Kardeş Türkmen’le, çağlıyor da çağlıyor

Anne, Baba, Bacıyla, ağlıyor da ağlıyor

Her gün zalim düşmanlar, dağlıyor da dağlıyor

Bütün Türkler ayakta, hakkın alını Kemal

O an Kerkük’te marşlar, hızla çalını Kemal

Şiir: Sadun KÖPRÜLÜ

A tribute to Abeer Qasim Al-Janabi, a young Iraqi victim of American Imperialism

ISLAM EMPIRE OF FAITH - THE OTTOMANS

Iraqi politician says Turkey should play role in Iraq

06 May 2010, Thursday.

An Iraqi politician said during a news conference with the Turkish foreign minister on Tuesday that Iraq believes Turkey should play a significant role in fighting terrorism and creating stability in Iraq.

Iraqi Front for National Dialogue leader Saleh al-Mutlaq made the comments during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu following a bilateral meeting on Tuesday.

Speaking during the press conference, al-Mutlaq said Turkey has always stood by Iraq in dire times. Mentioning the rallies during the invasion of Iraq and the rejection of the March 1 proposal in Parliament in 2003 that would have allowed the American military to use Turkish territory as a route into Iraq, al-Mutlaq said they will never forget these situations.

Al-Mutlaq also stated that Turkey is an example in the region on how to govern a country and that they attach importance to Turkey's experiences. He added that they believe Turkey needs to play a significant role in providing peace in Iraq, fighting terrorism and establishing stability. He also stated that Turkey's policy in national unity regardless of sectarian differences is a "real viewpoint" and that this will serve the stability of both Turkey and the region.

Claiming that the terrorist acts only bring "evil" to the region, al-Mutlaq said he condemns terrorism and called on all countries to cooperate in fighting terrorism. When asked what they expect from Turkey in a coalition-forming process in Iraq, al-Mutlaq said Turkey invites all political parties to Turkey and holds consultations with them. "We believe Turkey can play a positive role that unites and bring differences closer. Turkey has never intervened in the domestic affairs of Iraq. For this reason, Turkey has earned the respect of all political groups in Iraq. We thus want Turkey to play a role," the Iraqi politician said.

Speaking about the details of his meeting with the visiting politician, Davutoğlu said they discussed the situation after the March 7 elections in Iraq. Noting that Turkey has always attached great importance in forming a parliament and government that will contribute to the stability of Iraq, Davutoğlu said the Iraqiyya list has been successful in the election and that al-Mutlaq contributed to holding the election with ease despite efforts to exclude him from the electoral process.

Davutoğlu also mentioned that there will be an Iraqi government that will contribute to the stability of Iraq and establish good relations with neighboring countries, particularly Turkey, adding that Turkey will continue its efforts within this framework and pursue meetings regarding this. "Turkey considers peace, security and stability of Iraqi brothers as its own peace and stability. While doing this, Turkey does not distinguish between Basra and Mosul, Baghdad and Arbil," Davutoğlu said.

Also during the conference, the Turkish foreign minister mentioned that there is no scheduled date for a visit by Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and that the visit will take place at an "appropriate time."

Stating that he dispatched Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu to Arbil last week to hand the invitation of the Turkish government to the leader of the Kurdish regional administration, Barzani, Davutoğlu said they would like to see Barzani in Turkey.

Zaman
http://www.kerkuk.net/haberler/haber.aspx?dil=2057&metin=201005067

Can Kurds confront PKK's Ergenekon? by Orhan Kemal Cengiz

o.cengiz@todayszaman.com
Columnists
Can Kurds confront PKK’s Ergenekon?
By Orhan Kemal Cengiz

Last year Neşe Düzel of the Taraf daily had interviewed Abdülkadir Aygan, a former Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant who also worked for the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Organization (JİTEM).

JİTEM, an illegal formation within the gendarmerie, is known to use former PKK militants, now called “confessors,” in its operations. In this interview, Aygan explained in detail the nine years he worked for JİTEM. The ravenous ferocity and recklessness of JİTEM “operations,” as described by Aygan, would send chills down your spine.

However, in this article, I would like to focus on a very important detail from this interview --which remained as an accessory in the background, though it was frequently repeated throughout the interview -- and discuss its repercussions. As an explanation he offered for why he left the PKK, Aygan referred to extrajudicial killings within the organization. He shared how his friends had been killed while he witnessed these acts. He described how the militants who were considered “traitors” were put aside and how hysteria was created among the militants afterward. As I was reading the interview, I remembered how my hair stood up when I had read a PKK brochure in London years ago.

Punished ‘elements’

At first glance, I could not quite understand what the brochure meant due to its unique jargon. After perusing it several times, I finally understood what it said, and it made me sick. It said, with a rough translation: “X, who was suspected of being an element, was subjected to the practice and couldn’t withstand it and died. Later, it was understood that X was not an element, so his prestige was returned.” I decoded the message after reading it several times: X, who is suspected of being an “agent” (element), was “cross-examined under torture” (practice), and he died because he could not bear it. But they later found out that he did not work as an agent, and they decided to grant him a posthumous pardon.

At the time I read this statement, I was working as a lawyer for victims who had applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in connection with the JİTEM “operations,” as Aygan put it, i.e., burning villages, rape in custody, unresolved murders, etc. These cases provided good insight into how the Turkish deep state operated. Aygan’s words also gave us a misty impression of the PKK’s mentality. You could see how Kurdish villagers were trapped between the Turkish deep state and the PKK. For instance, in Akdıvar v. Turkey, we discussed what happened in a village that was burned down by both the PKK and JİTEM.

The conscientious Kurdish intellectuals whom I knew at that time would tell us that the PKK was itself involved in incredible killings within itself and that it was extremely cruel toward its own militants and people.

Being like the enemy

But I think the PKK resembles its enemy, JİTEM, and the Turkish deep state, not only in terms of this “execution” policy. We know that the PKK can easily divert from “guerrilla warfare” and easily conduct acts that would be categorized as “terrorism” under any benchmark, such as planting a bomb on a street. The Kurdish intellectuals who advocated a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue became targets and victims of bloody assassinations not only by the Turkish deep state but also by the PKK. It is true that enemies started to resemble each other after years of fighting. Perhaps another question should be asked at this point: Can it be that the similarities between the Turkish deep state and the PKK go beyond these “incidental” similarities? Can we even talk about the likelihood of a sort of cooperation or close contact between these two? Can it be that the symbiotic relationship between the Turkish deep state and the PKK goes beyond that famed political mutual dependence that needs constant crisis or enemy for survival?

Tuncay Güney’s statements

In his 2000 statement, Tuncay Güney, who had worked with Veli Küçük, once the most formidable figure of the Turkish deep state, explained with the utmost clarity how Ergenekon operated. It is unbelievable how those statements stayed on the dusty shelves of the police department for more than eight years and, perhaps, many more. Like the Ergenekon indictments, Güney’s statements also received their share of distortion and discrediting as well.
Putting aside the automatic denial reflexes in the face of Güney’s statements, we see that they contained three categories of information:
(1) those he witnessed, (2) those he heard about and (3) those he concluded.

We also observe that they are consistent to a certain extent and are supported by other testimony in the Ergenekon case file -- including the following story. Clearly, they alone cannot be considered substantial evidence. But I must confess that the pieces started to fall into place after reading them. Güney talked about a number of incidents including Susurluk, the Sabancı assassination, Ergenekon’s mafia connections and its ties with terrorist organizations. But a specific incident clearly reveals the cooperation between the Turkish and Kurdish Ergenekons.
Why were Uğur Mumcu and Eşref Bitlis killed?

The most popular theory offered as an explanation for why journalist and author Uğur Mumcu was killed in a car explosion in Ankara on Jan. 24, 1993, was that he was killed by Iran’s secret service. For many years, we listened to this nonsense. When there is a society ready to be duped, there are always some people seeking to fool it. Güney, on the other hand, gave us the most convincing explanation for the assassinations of Mumcu and Bitlis: Ergenekon received weapons that belonged to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and were produced by the Kırıkkale gun factory and delivered them not only to Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani but also to the PKK (6,000 weapons).

Mumcu was killed because he wanted to write a news story about it, and Bitlis, who was the gendarmerie commander at that time, was murdered because he was against this bloody trade. Güney’s assessments about these murders are his own conclusion, but as far as we gather from his statements, he witnessed this weapon delivery business. Güney’s statements make frequent referrals to various aspects of Küçük’s relationship with a group inside the PKK.

Settling accounts with Ergenekon

Every time Turkey has taken a step toward democratization, a group inside the PKK has sabotaged it by conducting horrible killings or launching unreasonable “operations.” For some reason, this group inside the PKK had interests that overlapped with those of the Turkish deep state.

As Turkey introduces significant changes to its Constitution these days, the PKK is again conducting its “operations” in various parts of Turkey. For some reason, the Turkish soldiers cannot “prevent” these obvious attacks. You would not believe me, but some journalists, such as Şamil Tayyar of the Star daily, published a list of the provinces where these PKK attacks would be conducted. And, all of these attacks occurred as he predicted, and soldiers were killed in all of them. These intelligence reports are leaked to journalists by certain units of the state.

Apparently, these units first caution the military before leaking said information to journalists in an effort to make sure that these attacks are prevented. But they still cannot be prevented, and it is clear that the Turkish deep state and a certain wing of the PKK hope to derive the same benefit from these attacks.

The Ergenekon case gives us an important opportunity to settle accounts with the Turkish state. But are Kurds ready to do the same with the Ergenekon inside the PKK?

05 May 2010, Wednesday

Why did the PKK resort to violence yet again?

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK

An increasing number of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attacks, which have recently claimed the lives of many soldiers, have once more created an environment of tension and mourning in the country. The terrorist organization had long been silent in conjunction with the government’s bid to solve Turkey’s decades-long Kurdish problem.

The sudden rise in its attacks has led to some suspicions that the attacks are being carried out at a time when Parliament is voting on a government-sponsored reform package which aims to raise democratic and judicial standards in the country. Before the latest PKK attacks, the latest of which took place in Tunceli, claiming the lives of four soldiers on Friday night, some columnists, relying on intelligence reports, warned that some shadowy power centers may try to prevent the passage of reforms and progress on the government’s Kurdish initiative by carrying out attacks in some parts of the country, prompting a nationwide outcry. These attacks unfortunately justify their arguments as they have revealed the anti-democratic circles’ disturbance with the reforms and the Kurdish initiative.

Bugün’s Adem Yavuz Arslan, one of the journalists who warned about possible PKK attacks by even naming the provinces where they are likely to take place, says there is no doubt these attacks were carried out by the PKK but adds that what matters is who gave the go-ahead. He explains that these attacks will bring no benefit to Kurds as they will trigger the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to increase its operations in the region and pave the way for anti-democratic practices in the region. “Which sensible Kurd would want such a thing to happen? So, it is unthinkable for the PKK to say that it resorted to violence again in order to defend the rights of the Kurds,” says Arslan.

In his view, Ergenekon, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government, exists within the PKK and masterminded its recent attacks. “Rising terrorist activity, constitutional reforms whose passage is hindered and a weakening Justice and Development Party [AK Party] serve Ergenekon, which has been very much cornered by the latest operations against its members. In order to describe the games being played as ‘conspiracy theories,’ let’s see the game that is being played. A formation does not want things to be on track in Turkey,” suggests Arslan.

According to Vatan’s Ruşen Çakır, the PKK, by carrying out attacks in various provinces such as Samsun, Giresun, Hakkari, Tunceli and Diyarbakır, is both making a “show of power” and pursuing a strategy to spread conflict to every part of the country. In his view, the PKK wants to be mentioned by the state today more than ever before because there is widespread fear within the organization that it will be eliminated as part of the government’s Kurdish initiative.

“Extensions of Ergenekon within the PKK and the state that do not support constitutional reforms and the government’s Kurdish initiative are collaborating to drag Turkey into chaos.

And so they try to urge the government to take a step backward on these by carrying out attacks, hence raising the tension,” comments Star’s Mehmet Altan over the latest PKK attacks in Turkey.

04.05.2010

Columnists



http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/columnists-209197-why-did-the-pkk-resort-to-violence-yet-again.html