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| Europe | |
| Kurds Attack Turkish Town, Curfew Called | |
| 2004-06-14 | |
| The Turkish military declared an overnight curfew in a southeastern city late Sunday, after Kurdish rebels launched a rocket attack on a military officers' club, a military official said. Troops killed two rebels in the ensuing clash. The attack in the southeastern town of Bingol came hours after more than 20,000 Kurds held a mass demonstration for peace in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the region. Former parliament deputy Leyla Zana, who was recently freed from prison, urged autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels to resume their unilateral truce. The rebels ended the five-year truce and intensified attacks on Turkish security forces earlier this month, saying Turkey had not responded in kind. The military has vowed to maintain its crackdown until all the rebels either surrender or are killed. Two soldiers were killed when their military vehicle was attacked Saturday in Tunceli province, 500 miles southeast of the capital, Ankara. No casualties were reported at the military club targeted in the rocket attack in downtown Bingol. A local military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two rebels were killed in the ensuing shootout. The official said the military had declared a temporary curfew in the city until Monday morning and that anti-rebel operations were under way. It is not uncommon for local military officials to declare a curfew after rebel attacks. Turkey considers the rebels terrorists and has refused to talk with them. But the country's Kurdish politicians, buoyed by the release of the four former lawmakers, are calling on the rebel group to observe their truce again. Zana appealed to the rebel group to give "peace a chance" and to continue the cease-fire for at least six months. Most of the protesters shouted "peace." But many pro-rebel sympathizers chanted illegal slogans in support of imprisoned Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan and unfurled banners of his outlawed group as well as posters with his picture during the rally. "Tooth for tooth, blood for blood, vengeance!" chanted some demonstrators in apparent support for the rebels.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #13 Oh y'all forget that Murat is a patriotic nationalist: As long as Saddam (a terrorist by deed, but not by label) stayed in his own borders and murdered his own people, then to Murat, that was a form of terrorism that didn't bother him one bit. An independent and capable Kurdistan IS the kind of entity that Murat would call terroristic, since it involves his precious Turkey so much, and would rightly blame Bush for it. In actuality, if Bush was "guilty" of creating a really free, sane, and capable Kurdistan, then he'd have a lock on my vote. In the end, what disturbs Murat is that my vote weighs more in Bush's mind than his opinion (as it should). It is to talk us out of voting for a president who contributes, in some way, to opposing Turkey, is one reason why Murat's here. What's so amazing is that Arabs aren't bothering to ask why we hate them, as much as they should ask themselves why we love the Kurds so much. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-06-14 3:53:26 PM |
| #12 My sympathy and support for Turkey is minimal. We went through a lot of grief to get turkey anti missile gear, and Turkey showed its gratitude by not allowing US military transit. In the name of fighting terrorism, maybe we should train the Kurds to fight as an army? |
| Posted by: flash91 2004-06-14 2:58:38 PM |
| #11 murat - blah blah blah...we did not cause them ..turkeys attempt at destroying a culture is the problem here...they are just getting some balls cause uncle sam is next door..could of been diff but turkey wanted to pound her chest... about creating terror - yea like the kurds were not pissed off with turkey before gulf1 and 2 - they were good obiedient subjects but now they are killing turkish soldeirs and it's all Bush's fault...do not use current events to hide your own missdeeds... your such a dumbass.. actually kurdish part of iraq is not submerged in misery - they have actually created a decent place for thier people..and i am sure that pisses you off - especially since turkey can do jack about it! and the rest of iraq is own her way - as long as descent people there want a prosperous future no need to worry.. |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-06-14 11:57:34 AM |
| #10 You guys don’t fight terror, you guys create terror. In the end this whole Iraq misery will end up like Gulfwar1 leaving a pile of mess behind where vermin and terrorists will thrive. Seems to me those "vermin" are Turkish Kurds on YOUR soil. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-14 10:56:03 AM |
| #9 vermins are need living rights to! we are need to luv all gods litle creatures! hi murat! we are miss you here. :) |
| Posted by: murat4doo 2004-06-14 10:53:31 AM |
| #8 Purdy good Mr. Murat. But bush is chimp not vermin. We most coordinate our insults or else all will be lost in November. |
| Posted by: AntiPasto 2004-06-14 10:51:15 AM |
| #7 oooooh snappy retort... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-14 10:50:29 AM |
| #6 Mmmmmhh no, more vermin like Bush? |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-06-14 10:49:01 AM |
| #5 Vermin will thrive? You ought to be delighted then, Murat. |
| Posted by: BMN 2004-06-14 10:37:40 AM |
| #4 Don't get exited Frank, I’m not pissed off that easily. The fact is that whenever American intervention took place in Iraq, Gulfwar1 and now Gulfwar2 there was an upsurge in Kurdish terror over here. You guys don’t fight terror, you guys create terror. In the end this whole Iraq misery will end up like Gulfwar1 leaving a pile of mess behind where vermin and terrorists will thrive. |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-06-14 10:33:00 AM |
| #3 I am as well, if for no other reason than it pisses MuRat off so much |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-14 10:04:42 AM |
| #2 dcreeper makes a good point. Also, since the Iraqi constitution got amended to dilute the sections that protected the Kurds, this may be a prelude to an all out trans-Kurdish nationalist movement. Basically, I'm in sympathy with the Kurds. |
| Posted by: rabidfox 2004-06-14 9:52:39 AM |
| #1 if the kurds in turkland get slaughted, what will the kurds in iraq and other countries do? the ones in iraq are pretty well organized..this could get messy |
| Posted by: dcreeper 2004-06-14 7:27:25 AM |