Türkiye wants to finish off the Kurds
America bothers her
Yesterday in Ankara, hearings opened at the Turkish Court of Cassation, which will decide whether to uphold the death sentence of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, handed down in June by a state security court. On the eve of the trial, the PKK made a sensational statement: the Kurds are laying down their arms and abandoning the idea of creating national autonomy.

At yesterday's court hearing, the floor was given to Ocalan's lawyers, who asked for a new trial of their client and to bring charges against him that do not involve the death penalty. Lawyers say judges should take into account Ocalan's proposed peace initiatives that could end the 15-year-old war.
Let us recall that the Kurdish leader, awaiting a decision on his fate in prison on the island of Imrali, on August 2 appealed to his comrades to lay down their arms. A day later, the PKK leadership issued a statement that the Kurds were stopping the armed struggle and were withdrawing their troops from Turkey.
Few people believed this statement at the time, but in September about 70% of the Kurdish combat groups left the southeast of the country. And the PKK made a new sensational statement: the Kurds are refusing the demand to create their own autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan. According to their leaders, if Turkey becomes a fully democratic country, the issue of autonomy will be irrelevant. The PKK Presidium outlined all this in a message addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Chief of General Staff and the Turkish Parliament.
True, the PKK put forward a number of demands to Ankara: amend the constitution recognizing the existence of a Kurdish minority in the country (Abdullah Ocalan wrote the draft amendments in prison), declare an amnesty to all participants in the armed conflict, release 10 thousand PKK supporters from prison and provide 20 thousand party members the opportunity to return home without hindrance.
However, Ankara demanded unconditional surrender from the Kurds. On October 1, a “peace delegation” of eight people headed by Ali Sapan, who until 1996 headed the Western European branch of the PKK and then was part of the leadership of the Kurdish armed forces, went to Turkey with a message. But immediately upon arrival the entire delegation was arrested. And now awaits trial.
Such uncompromisingness did not suit the taste of the United States. Washington, for which Türkiye is a reliable strategic partner, tries not to publicly criticize Ankara. But the Kurdish-Turkish conflict is creating tension in the Middle East region, and this is contrary to American interests. Therefore, the United States increased pressure on Turkey, trying to force it to come to an agreement with the Kurds.
Last week, Washington actually supported the Kurdish demands. The US Ambassador to Turkey, who returned from a trip to the Kurdish areas of the country, made an unprecedentedly harsh criticism of Ankara's position on the Kurdish issue and said that Turkey should declare an amnesty to all participants in the armed conflict.
LEONID J-GANKIN

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 194 dated 10.22.1999, p. 10

Authors:

Leonid Gankin