Subject: TURKEY-KURDS (L) By AMBERIN ZAMAN/ZAKHO, NORTHERN IRAQ From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/23/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-175971 TITLE=TURKEY-KURDS (L) BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN DATELINE=ZAKHO, NORTHERN IRAQ CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AT LEAST NINE IRAQI-KURDISH VILLAGES HAVE BEEN HIT DURING TURKISH BOMBING RAIDS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. AMBARIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ZAKHO, ALONG THE TURKISH BORDER. TEXT: IRAQI-KURDISH OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST NINE VILLAGES WERE HIT WHEN TURKISH MILITARY PLANES BOMBED THE REGION, NORTH OF THE TOWN OF AMADIYAH, AS PART OF THEIR MASSIVE MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEPARTIST REBEL BASES IN NORTHERN IRAQ. THE OFFICIALS ADD THAT IRAQI-KURDISH CIVILIANS FROM THE BOMBED AREAS WERE STREAMING INTO THE TOWN OF ZAKHO TO SEEK HELP FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES. SOME VILLAGERS WERE WOUNDED DURING THE RAIDS AND ARE BEING TREATED IN NEARBY HOSPITALS. IRAQI-KURDISH VILLAGERS ELSEWHERE ARE COMPLAINING OF MALTREATMENT BY THE TURKISH SECURITY FORCES, ACCORDING TO A SPOKESMAN FOR THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, OR K-D-P, ONE OF THE MAIN IRAQI-KURDISH FACTIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. MUHAMMED IS AN IRAQI KURD FROM THE VILLAGE OF HIZAWA NEAR THE TURKISH BORDER. SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, HE SAID HE AND HIS FELLOW VILLAGERS WERE ROUNDED UP BY THE TURKISH MILITARY ON MONDAY AND TAKEN TO A NEARBY FORT WHERE THEY WERE INTERROGATED ABOUT THE SEPARATIST KURDISTAN WORKER'S PARTY, OR P-K-K. /// MUHAMMED ACT - ARABIC /// /// ENGLISH - ACT /// THEY HARASSED ME AND OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY TORTURED US AND THEY TREATED US VERY BADLY. /// END ACT /// LIKE MANY VILLAGERS HERE, MUHAMMED DENIES HAVING ANY CONNECTIONS WITH THE P-K-K, AND SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TURKISH TROOPS TO RETURN HOME. FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WHO ATTEMPTED TO VISIT THE BOMBED VILLAGES WERE PREVENTED FROM DOING SO THURSDAY BY TURKISH MILITARY OFFICIALS ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY FELL WITHIN THE CONFLICT ZONE. ABOUT 35 THOUSAND TURKISH TROOPS THRUST INTO NORTHERN IRAQ LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS PART OF WHAT THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT DESCRIBES AS THE GREATEST MILITARY OPERATION EVER IN RECENT TURKISH HISTORY. TURKISH MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY TURKISH FORCES HAVE ENCIRCLE SOME THREE THOUSAND P-K-K FIGHTERS HIDING IN THE SIRNAK MOUNTAIN RANGES SEPARATING IRAQ FROM SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY, AND THAT ALL THEIR ESCAPE ROUTES HAVE BEEN CUT OFF. THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT HAS DENIED REPORTS THAT TURKISH SECURITY FORCES ARE ABUSING IRAQI-KURDISH CIVILIANS. AND ANKARA ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY THAT IT WAS GOING TO ESTABLISH WHAT TURKISH OFFICIALS DESCRIBE AS A SECURITY COORDINATION CENTER IN ZAKHO TO ADDRESS COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH REGARD TO THE MILITARY INCURSION. THE SCALE OF THE TURKISH MILITARY PRESENCE HERE, WESTERN OBSERVERS SAY, SUGGESTS THAT TURKEY WANTS TO ESTABLISH A BUFFER ZONE IN THE REGION. THE OBSERVERS WARNED THAT IF TURKISH TROOPS DO NOT TONE DOWN WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS THEIR HEAVY-HANDED TREATMENT OF LOCAL CIVILIANS, THE IRAQI-KURDISH PEOPLE MAY SOON RETALIATE. IN THE WORDS OF ONE WESTERN SOURCE, THE TURKISH MILITARY MAY FIND ITSELF NOT ONLY FIGHTING AGAINST THE P-K-K, BUT AGAINST THE IRAQI-KURDISH PEOPLE AS WELL. (SIGNED) NEB/AZ/KK-T/LWM 23-Mar-95 7:31 PM EST (0031 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------