Subject: TURKEY'S ADVENTURE INTO KURDISH IRAQ By ANDREW N. GUTHRIE/WASHINGTON From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=03/23/95 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-08899 TITLE=TURKEY'S ADVENTURE INTO KURDISH IRAQ BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=PHIL HAYNES CONTENT= INTRO: SEVERAL U-S NEWSPAPERS ARE REACTING WITH OUTRAGE AGAINST THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT'S SEEMING COMPLACENCY IN THE FACE OF TURKEY'S MILITARY INVASION OF NORTHERN IRAQ TO DESTROY TURKISH KURD GUERRILLA BASES. THE GUERRILLAS HAVE LONG WAGED CROSS-BORDER RAIDS AGAINST THE TURKISH MILITARY AS PART OF THEIR CAMPAIGN FOR A SEPARATE KURDISH STATE. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM ________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: ALMOST EVERY EDITORIAL SO FAR ON THE SUBJECT HAS CRITICIZED THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION FOR, ON THE ONE HAND, PROTECTING IRAQI KURDS FROM ATTACKS BY SADDAM HUSSEIN'S WARPLANES AND GROUND TROOPS, WHILE NOT OPPOSING THE INVASTION BY NATO-ALLY TURKEY TO ATTACK KURDISH GUERRILLA BASES. SOME PAPERS DO SUGGEST THAT OUTRAGEOUS ACTS BY GUERRILLAS OF THE KURDISH WORKERS' PARTY -- OR P-K-K -- IN TURKEY GIVE SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ACTION, BUT MOST CONSIDER IT TOO STRONG A RESPONSE. OTHER DAILIES ALSO NOTE THE GROWING INSTABILITY IN TURKEY AS IT STRUGGLES AGAINST A NEWLY-INVIGORATED ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM AS A PARTIAL EXCUSE FOR ANKARA TO FINALLY RID ITSELF OF KURDISH GUERRILLA ATTACKS ON THE TURKISH MILITARY. WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN CALIFORNIA, WITH "THE SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS." VOICE: "[OPT] EVER SINCE THE END OF THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, THE KURDS THOUGHT UNCLE SAM WAS ON THEIR SIDE. BUT IT TURNS OUT IT'S NOT YOUR FRIENDS, BUT YOUR ENEMIES WHO COUNT. [END OPT] THIS WEEK TURKEY RAIDED KURDISH VILLAGES IN NORTHERN IRAQ, AN AREA GUARDED BY U-S WARPLANES, WHILE THE U-S MILITARY STOOD BY. ..... IT APPEARS THAT THE VICTIMS WERE CIVILIAN KURDS, MANY REFUGEES WHO HAD FLED PERSECUTION IN TURKEY. THE UNITED STATES, WHICH NEEDS TURKEY AS AN ALLY IN NATO AND AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN, MOUTHED A PLATITUDE ABOUT ERADICATING TERRORISM. ..... THE RAIDS ARE THE LATEST CHAPTER IN TURKEY'S APPALLINGLY VICIOUS WAR AGAINST THE KURDS. ... TO BE SURE, MEMBERS OF THE P-K-K ARE NO ANGELS. THEY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIBERATE AND ARBITRARY KILLINGS. .... EVEN IF THE RAIDS MISSED THEIR INTENDED TARGETS, AT LEAST THEY BARED [REVEALED] U-S MOTIVATIONS IN THE REGION. THE U-S RUNS 'OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT' IN NORTHERN IRAQ NOT TO PROTECT THE KURDS. RENAME IT INSTEAD 'OPERATION IN YOUR FACE, SADDAM,' AND FORGET THE CHARADE. [I.E., IT IS RUN ONLY TO CHALLENGE THE AUTHORITY OF, OR IRRITATE, THE IRAQI LEADER, AND NOT TO TRULY PROTECT THE KURDS.]" TEXT: ACROSS THE CONTINENT, IN BOSTON, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" IS ALSO UPSET, THOUGH IN MORE RESTRAINED LANGUAGE: VOICE: "[OPT] HAVING SPENT EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR ON A WAR AGAINST KURDS IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY, THE TURKISH MILITARY IS ATTEMPTING TO STAMP OUT THE KURDS ONCE AND FOR ALL -- BY ATTACKING REBEL BASES IN IRAQ. [END OPT] KURDISH REBELS HOPING TO FORM A SEPARATIST 'KURDISTAN' STATE THROUGH VIOLENCE ARE A PROBLEM. BUT A TURKISH GOVERNMENT THAT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEVEL AND DEGREE OF REPRESSION IT HAS PRACTICED AGAINST THE KURDS FOR YEARS IS A PROBLEM. ..... THE WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO THIS LATEST BRUTAL ATTACK IS TO SAY THAT IT IS 'UNDERSTANDING.' [OPT] ..... THESE STATEMENTS SEEM INADEQUATE. MOSCOW ATTACKS CHECHENS AND THE UNITED STATES 'UNDERSTANDS.' ISRAEL BOMBS AND KILLS CIVILIANS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON AND THE U-S SEEMS TO APPROVE. NOW THIS. [END OPT] TO SAY, AS THE WHITE HOUSE ESSENTIALLY DID, TO KEEP THE KILLING DOWN SEEMS CHEAP." TEXT: IN MAINE, "THE PORTLAND PRESS HERALD" HEADLINES TODAY'S EDITORIAL: "HOW LONG WILL WORLD LOOK AWAY AS TURKS KILL KURDS?" AND NOTES: VOICE: "THE KILLING IS BEING DONE WITH U-S WEAPONS, BUT WE IGNORE IT. THE BLOODBATH BEING WAGED AGAINST THE KURDISH RESISTANCE IN NORTHERN IRAQ BY TURKISH FORCES .... IS BAD ENOUGH. THE OUTRAGE IS HEIGHTENED, HOWEVER, BY THE MILKQUETOAST [TIMID, WEAK] RESPONSE FROM THE U-S GOVERNMENT SO FAR. [OPT] ..... TURKEY IS AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS, WITH A LONG, HORRID RECORD OF PERSECUTION OF THE KURDS. ....... ALREADY, THE INVADING TURKS HAVE VIOLATED ASSURANCES THEY WOULD BE ATTACKING ONLY 'TERRORISTS' OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY (PKK). ON WEDNESDAY, THEY ATTACKED VILLAGES HOUSING MEMBERS OF THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, WHICH OPPOSES THE PKK AND SUPPOSEDLY WORKS WITH THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE GROUP. [END OPT] ..... HOW LONG WILL THE WORLD LOOK AWAY? THE LONGER IT DOES, THE GREATER WILL BE THE SHAME." TEXT: THE INFLUENTIAL "NEW YORK TIMES" IS ALSO UPSET, AS MUCH BY THE VICTIMS OF THE ATTACK AS BY THE PRINCIPLE OF THE ASSAULT: VOICE: "...SENDING TROOPS ACROSS ANOTHER NATION'S BORDER IS A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW THAT DESERVES HARSH CONDEMNATION. THE WORLD WOULD BECOME EVEN MORE DANGEROUS IF COUNTRIES WITH STRONG ARMIES AND BORDER FRUSTRATIONS FELT FREE TO TAKE THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. FRANCE, WHICH CURRENTLY LEADS THE EUROPEAN UNION, A GROUP TURKEY DESPERATELY WANTS TO JOIN, HAS RIGHTLY CONDEMNED THIS INVASION. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE CONDEMNED IT TOO. INSTEAD, WASHINGTON, ALONG WITH MOSCOW, HAS EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING FOR THE TURKISH ATTACK. [OPT].....THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROMISING THAT ITS OPERATIONS IN IRAQ WILL BE QUICKLY COMPLETED. BUT NOW IT SAYS THE FIGHTING COULD LAST A MONTH. [END OPT] ..... IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR AMERICA TO TAKE A MORE PRINCIPLED STAND." TEXT: IN BALTIMORE, "THE SUN" SAYS IF THE TURKISH FORCES WERE STRICTLY LIMITING THEIR INVASION TO ATTACKING GUERRILLAS AND THEIR CAMPS, IT WOULD BE MORE EASY TO UNDERSTAND U-S SUPPORT. VOICE: "THE UNITED STATES HAS FORGIVEN TURKEY MUCH BECAUSE IT WAS A NATO BULWARK AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION. NOW IT IS A BULWARK AGAINST ANTI-WESTERN EXTREMISM POSING AS ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM. .... IT COMPETES WITH IRAN FOR INFLUENCE IN FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS OF CENTRAL ASIA. IT HAS THE MOST RESILIENT DEMOCRACY OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD, DESPITE PERIODS OF MILITARY RULE. [OPT] BUT TURKEY IS ALSO THE TARGET OF IRAN-STYLE EXTREMISM. ITS DEMOCRACY HAS GIVEN THE WELFARE PARTY CONTROL OF ANKARA AND ISTANBUL WITH A GOAL OF OVERTURNING THE SECULARISM IMPOSED BY THE NATION'S GREAT REVOLUTIONARY, KEMAL ATATURK... [END OPT] SO IT IS EASY TO SYMPATHIZE WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE INVASION. .... (HOWEVER) MORE TOLERANCE OF KURDISH PUBLISHING, KURDISH BROADCASTING, KURDISH EDUCATION AND KURDISH POLITICAL IDENTITY IN TURKEY WOULD MAKE ANKARA'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN EASIER TO JUSTIFY." TEXT: AND LASTLY, THESE THOUGHTS FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST." VOICE: "WHETHER IT [THE INVASION] WILL SUCCEED IS OPEN TO QUESTION. THEY [THE TURKISH MILITARY] ARE OPERATING IN VERY ROUGH COUNTRY, WHICH FAVORS THE GUERRILLAS, AND THE MILITARY BUILDUP THAT PRECEDED THE INVASION APPARENTLY GAVE THE KURDS PLENTY OF WARNING. ..... TURKS LIVE AT A GREAT HISTORICAL CROSSROADS, AND THE ARMY'S STRIKE AGAINST KURDISH SEPARATISM IS PART OF THE PROCESS IN WHICH THEY ARE DECIDING WHETHER TO TURN EASTWARD OR WESTWARD." TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMMENT IN THE U-S PRESS ON THE LATEST TURKISH ATTACK AGAINST KURDISH GUERRILLA BASES IN IRAQ. NEB/ANG/PCH 23-Mar-95 1:02 PM EST (1802 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------