PKK Demands, Pressure Assad Regime.
An infamous authoritarian leader-figure of the terrorist Kurdistan Worker Party or PKK, Murat Karayilan (aka Cemal), called Syrian government to negotiate with Kurds, on a press conference held on March 2012, in Qandil enclave, the heartland of PKK.
For the last 3 weeks Syria is facing most violent protests since 1980s, mainly by Sunni Arab community. Meanwhile Kurdish region in northwest is relatively calm since PKK is acting as a shadow police force to keep Kurdish protests at a minimum, proving it has a strong authority on Kurds of Syria.
Karayilan said it's highly possible that the protest will spread across Syria and Kurdish region will be effected. He incomprehensibly called Syrian government to immediately declare reforms which will guarantee rights for people of Syria.
Karayilan insisted that Kurdish question in Syria is one of the most important obstacle in the road for democracy and called Syrian government to negotiate with Kurds at the highest level. He warned of future protests in Kurdish region and said “if Kurds revolt, it would have much more effect than the revolt of Arabs community. Kurdish people demand a democratic Syria and freedom. Syria must recognize Kurdish identity and respond to political, cultural and social demands of Kurdistan people”.
This statement has been regarded as a threat to Syrian regime and also international community, which in fact points out a desire for Kurds, that this "opportunity" will be regarded at any cost, and PKK is ready to make things difficult for a Western incursion over Syria, unless they are provided a serious sets of demands. Despite some political conflictions between PKK and KDP, it seems like PKK and Barzani are in tune for a Kurdish reorganization in Syria.
So called "suppression" of ethnic identity of Kurds in Syria include: various bans on the use of the Kurdish language; refusal to register children with Kurdish names; replacement of Kurdish place names with new names in Arabic; prohibition of businesses that do not have Arabic names; not permitting Kurdish private schools; and the prohibition of books and other materials written in Kurdish.These are all trumpeted claims of Kurds to promote international concerns. Assad's regime was never tolerant to any kind of entity within Syrian territory. As a matter of fact,Turkey seems to be the only country developing measures for meeting Kurdish demands in terms of preserving culture and language.
PKK militants threatened on Thursday to turn all Kurdish populated areas into a "war zone" if Turkish troops entered Syria, a sign the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has allies in Syria may be taking sides in the conflict there.
A renewed alliance between Damascus and the PKK would anger Turkey and could prompt it to take an even stronger line against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his brutal repression of anti-government protesters.
PKK chief Murat Karayilan said Turkey was preparing the ground for an intervention in Syria. "The Turkish state is planning an intervention against our people," the Firat news agency, close to the militants, quoted him as saying. "Let me state clearly, if the Turkish state intervenes against our people in western Kurdistan, all of Kurdistan will turn into a war zone," he said. An ordinary menace, which PKK used to comprehend before every major event, at the region.
Western Kurdistan is the term PKK use to describe Kurdish areas of northeast Syria, while by Kurdistan they mean the Kurdish areas of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said last week that setting up a "safe zone" or a "buffer zone" along the border with Syria to protect civilians from Assad's forces was among the options being considered should the stream of refugees turn into a flood.
Setting up such a zone would involve troops entering Syria to secure territory. Turkey has turned sharply against its former friend Assad and has taken a lead in trying to forge international agreement on the need for stronger action on Syria. Turkish 2'nd Army Corps' which is responsible guarding Syria-Iraq-Iran border has 4 mechanized and armored brigades covering Syrian border. These troops, supported by commando brigades and armored brigades shifted from premier 1'st Army Corps' might be effective in the outbreak of a war.
While Syrian government forces are clashing daily with insurgents demanding the downfall of Assad, Syrian Kurdish areas have remained relatively calm, despite many Kurds' long-standing opposition to the government.
Some Syrian Kurdish groups opposed to Assad have formed their own umbrella group after complaining of being sidelined by the main opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), which they say is dominated by Arab nationalists. On the other side, SNC Leadership condemned Kurdish parties pushing for independence and playing a double game to gain upper-hand.
But the comparative calm in Syria's Kurdish northeast may also be related to what some Kurdish analysts say is the growing influence of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Syrian Kurdish group allied to the PKK which has kept away from the opposition. Colonel Riyad Al Asaad, head of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) claims that PYD's leaving the Syrian opposition is ordered by PKK HQ, due to the commitments given by Assad regime.
Turkey warns Syria on PKK
The PKK, set up in 1984, is commanded from bases in the remote mountains of northern Iraq, but was once backed by Syria.
Though Turkey has the second biggest army in NATO; unlike the success of Sri-Lanka against Tamil Tigers, it has failed to quash the PKK in 27 years of bitter fighting. More than 30,000 have been killed in the conflict. Turkey, the United States and the European Union all list the PKK as a terrorist organisation.
Turkish officials say they are watching closely for signs Syria may renew its support for the PKK, which it dropped in late 1998 after Turkish Army's massive deployment on the Syrian border. Damascus was forced to deport PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan who was later seized by Turkish intelligence services in Kenya.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has repeatedly said Syria "would not dare" make such a mistake again.
Middle East experts say that if there will be a war between Syria and Turkey, PKK existance in northern Syria will give Turkey enough reason for incursion.
Coskun Unal, May 01, 2012.
An infamous authoritarian leader-figure of the terrorist Kurdistan Worker Party or PKK, Murat Karayilan (aka Cemal), called Syrian government to negotiate with Kurds, on a press conference held on March 2012, in Qandil enclave, the heartland of PKK.
For the last 3 weeks Syria is facing most violent protests since 1980s, mainly by Sunni Arab community. Meanwhile Kurdish region in northwest is relatively calm since PKK is acting as a shadow police force to keep Kurdish protests at a minimum, proving it has a strong authority on Kurds of Syria.
Karayilan said it's highly possible that the protest will spread across Syria and Kurdish region will be effected. He incomprehensibly called Syrian government to immediately declare reforms which will guarantee rights for people of Syria.
Karayilan insisted that Kurdish question in Syria is one of the most important obstacle in the road for democracy and called Syrian government to negotiate with Kurds at the highest level. He warned of future protests in Kurdish region and said “if Kurds revolt, it would have much more effect than the revolt of Arabs community. Kurdish people demand a democratic Syria and freedom. Syria must recognize Kurdish identity and respond to political, cultural and social demands of Kurdistan people”.
This statement has been regarded as a threat to Syrian regime and also international community, which in fact points out a desire for Kurds, that this "opportunity" will be regarded at any cost, and PKK is ready to make things difficult for a Western incursion over Syria, unless they are provided a serious sets of demands. Despite some political conflictions between PKK and KDP, it seems like PKK and Barzani are in tune for a Kurdish reorganization in Syria.
Karayilan said that Kurdish Question in Syria is one of the most important
obstacle in the road for democracy
Karayilan proposed an "initial solution" based on creating an autonomous
region for Kurds in Syria. He also called Kurds to build dialogue with
Syrian government and opposition and then decide about whether or not to join the
protests. This can be interpreted as "the Kurds of PKK is willing to act as hired-guns for anyone who's willing to accept their demands. This is also creating a dilemma that, with Assad approaching PKK, distancing Syrian opposition, means that things will be quiet complicated in case of especially a multinational military incursion.
“Kurds must act together. It's an important process. We think that a change is close but costly and Kurds will pay that cost and be free” Karayilan said.
The PKK has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984, to establish a Kurdish state in the south east of the country. As a change of strategy for the last decade, its aim is the creation of an autonomous region before an independent Kurdish State. This is something almost impossible to achieve without a total-war.
“Kurds must act together. It's an important process. We think that a change is close but costly and Kurds will pay that cost and be free” Karayilan said.
The PKK has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984, to establish a Kurdish state in the south east of the country. As a change of strategy for the last decade, its aim is the creation of an autonomous region before an independent Kurdish State. This is something almost impossible to achieve without a total-war.
Over 2
million Kurds live in Syria, mainly in the north bordering Turkey and Iraqi
Kurdistan region. They comprise seven to eight percent of the population; and despite the fact that PKK had been sheltered within Syria, and its leadership and cadres found safe heaven in Damascus from 1980s till 1998 (the date Ocalan forcibly left Syria), Syrian Kurds never surfaced as a minority standing up for their democratic rights until 2011. There was a time that they had a strong alliance with Hafez Al Assad particularly against Turkey, but PKK never attempted to support or organize its own people in northern Syria.
So called "suppression" of ethnic identity of Kurds in Syria include: various bans on the use of the Kurdish language; refusal to register children with Kurdish names; replacement of Kurdish place names with new names in Arabic; prohibition of businesses that do not have Arabic names; not permitting Kurdish private schools; and the prohibition of books and other materials written in Kurdish.These are all trumpeted claims of Kurds to promote international concerns. Assad's regime was never tolerant to any kind of entity within Syrian territory. As a matter of fact,Turkey seems to be the only country developing measures for meeting Kurdish demands in terms of preserving culture and language.
PKK threatens Turkey against Syria action
A renewed alliance between Damascus and the PKK would anger Turkey and could prompt it to take an even stronger line against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his brutal repression of anti-government protesters.
PKK chief Murat Karayilan said Turkey was preparing the ground for an intervention in Syria. "The Turkish state is planning an intervention against our people," the Firat news agency, close to the militants, quoted him as saying. "Let me state clearly, if the Turkish state intervenes against our people in western Kurdistan, all of Kurdistan will turn into a war zone," he said. An ordinary menace, which PKK used to comprehend before every major event, at the region.
Western Kurdistan is the term PKK use to describe Kurdish areas of northeast Syria, while by Kurdistan they mean the Kurdish areas of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said last week that setting up a "safe zone" or a "buffer zone" along the border with Syria to protect civilians from Assad's forces was among the options being considered should the stream of refugees turn into a flood.
Setting up such a zone would involve troops entering Syria to secure territory. Turkey has turned sharply against its former friend Assad and has taken a lead in trying to forge international agreement on the need for stronger action on Syria. Turkish 2'nd Army Corps' which is responsible guarding Syria-Iraq-Iran border has 4 mechanized and armored brigades covering Syrian border. These troops, supported by commando brigades and armored brigades shifted from premier 1'st Army Corps' might be effective in the outbreak of a war.
While Syrian government forces are clashing daily with insurgents demanding the downfall of Assad, Syrian Kurdish areas have remained relatively calm, despite many Kurds' long-standing opposition to the government.
Some Syrian Kurdish groups opposed to Assad have formed their own umbrella group after complaining of being sidelined by the main opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), which they say is dominated by Arab nationalists. On the other side, SNC Leadership condemned Kurdish parties pushing for independence and playing a double game to gain upper-hand.
But the comparative calm in Syria's Kurdish northeast may also be related to what some Kurdish analysts say is the growing influence of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Syrian Kurdish group allied to the PKK which has kept away from the opposition. Colonel Riyad Al Asaad, head of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) claims that PYD's leaving the Syrian opposition is ordered by PKK HQ, due to the commitments given by Assad regime.
Armed PKK people intercepting Kurdish protesters in northern town of Afrin Feb 2012.
Turkey warns Syria on PKK
The PKK, set up in 1984, is commanded from bases in the remote mountains of northern Iraq, but was once backed by Syria.
Though Turkey has the second biggest army in NATO; unlike the success of Sri-Lanka against Tamil Tigers, it has failed to quash the PKK in 27 years of bitter fighting. More than 30,000 have been killed in the conflict. Turkey, the United States and the European Union all list the PKK as a terrorist organisation.
Turkish officials say they are watching closely for signs Syria may renew its support for the PKK, which it dropped in late 1998 after Turkish Army's massive deployment on the Syrian border. Damascus was forced to deport PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan who was later seized by Turkish intelligence services in Kenya.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has repeatedly said Syria "would not dare" make such a mistake again.
Middle East experts say that if there will be a war between Syria and Turkey, PKK existance in northern Syria will give Turkey enough reason for incursion.
Coskun Unal, May 01, 2012.
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