Kurdistan Observer

Feb 28, 2005 • Talabani Weakening Position on Kirkuk and Kurdistan in Quest to Arab Iraqi Presidency • Ibrahim al-Jaafari Promises Not To Let Kurds Control Kirkuk Feb 27, 2005 • News Snapshot In the wake of March 12, 2004 uprising, several Kurdish detainees are still in jail awaiting hearings by a Syrian military court. On Thursday February 24, twenty-three Kurdish detainees were in court arguing for their release. According to the Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC), based in London, eighteen eyewitnesses were brought-in by the government to testify against the detainees giving very little hope for due process. Sentencing will be pronounced on March 3, 2005, reported RPS • Kurds Vow to Retain Militia as Guardians of Autonomy "We want to keep our peshmerga because they are a symbol of resistance," said Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the son of Mustafa Barzani, a revered Kurdish leader who founded the peshmerga in the 1960's. "It's not a matter to be discussed or negotiated." More • Arab Lecturers Go To Southern Kurdistan • Kurds' Bid For Asylum Thrown Out Of Court Feb 26, 2005 • News Snapshot The Kurdish governor of Kirkuk has issued a circular declaring Kurdish the official language in Kirkuk. Kirkuk Governor Abdurrahman Mustafa's order came as Osman Korutürk, Turkey's special envoy to Southern Kurdistan, was visiting Sulaimani for talks with Jalal Talabani, reported TDN ----------------- A Japanese court on Friday refused refugee status for four Turkish Kurds, opening the way for them to be sent to Turkey where they say they fear torture. The case comes a month after Japan, which rarely takes in refugees or immigrants, defied the United Nations by deporting two other Kurds to Turkey, reported AFP Feb 25, 2005 • Kurdish Demands Slow Iraq Search for New Govt • News Snapshot A top delegation headed by the senior Turkish diplomat Usman Korturk is to arrive in Sulaimani today, reported Turkey's Hurriyet. The source said that Mr Korturk, who is accompanied by a number of high ranking Turkish military commanders, will urge the PUK leader Jalal Talabani, to abandon PUK-KDP common position on Kirkuk being a “Kurdistani city.” ------------------------------ Opinion polls have recently revealed that the highest volume of anti-U.S. sentiments in the world were in Turkey, with many Turks suspicious that Washington's Iraq policy is poised to harm Turkish national interests by promoting Iraq's division and the creation of an independent Kurdish state in Southern Kurdistan. Feb 24, 2005 • Kurds Name Their Price For Putting Shia Party In Power • Shiites’ Pick For Premier Could spark Bitter Battle • Turkish Bestseller Describes War On U.S. Feb 22, 2005 • Report: US In Secret Talks With Iraqi Insurgents • Riots Rock Three Kurdish Towns In Eastern Kurdistan • Kurds Propose Korea Bid On 3 Major Projects Feb 21, 2005 • News Snapshot The PUK leader Meets Nechirvan Barzani. According to sources in Southern Kurdistan, the nominee for the Iraqi presidency Jalal Talabani met last Saturday with Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of KRG-Arbil, in PUK headquarters near Sulaimani. The topic of the meeting was uniting the two Kurdish administrations and forming a united government headed by Nechirvan Barzani as its prime minister. The proposed united goverment, which has been a topic of discussion between the KDP and PUK leadership for the past few years, has yet to be announced. • The US Government Acknowledging and Worrying about Turkey's Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism • All Not Quiet On The Northern Front Feb 20, 2005 • News Snapshot Adnan Mufti, a member of the PUK political bureau, said, " The issue of Kirkuk had been a main issue in the negotiations with the Baath regime," he said. "So now, in a democratic, federal country, how can we [drop] the issue of Kirkuk?". ----------------- If Kurds seek regional control over part of Iraq's oil, Pachachi said, ''it will be the fragmentation of the country. It will be totally unacceptable." • Kurdish Religious Leader Gunned Down In Kirkuk • Kurds Detail Demands for a Degree of Autonomy • Depicting Kurds' Misery With Tough Lyricism Feb 19, 2005 • Barzani: Kurds Will Not Back Down On Kirkuk "People here feel deep concern, or even anger, when some people in Turkey try to interfere in our internal affairs. This is unacceptable," Barzani said. More • Focus On Needs In Kirkuk • Clash Over 'Kurdish veto' Looms In Iraq • Disharmony in Kurdistan Feb 17, 2005 • Turkish Rights Group Seeks Protest Violence Probe • Turkmen Front Rep: Kirkuk Will Become Kurdish And Then Separate • Niece of Kurdish Leader Ocalan Deported From France To Italy • News Snapshot Turkey, the sick man of Europe and the Middle East, called Wednesday for a "comprehensive presence" of international observers to check any irregularities at a referendum on Iraq's constitution this year. "We hope the deficiencies, disorder and irregularities that ocurred in the January 30 elections will not recur during the constitutional referendum ... planned to be held in Iraq this year," foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan told a news conference. ----------------- A close aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the spiritual leader of Iraq's Shiite Muslims, said the alliance's leaders will visit the grand ayatollah's office in Najaf to get his blessing for their choice for prime minister. In the event they can't agree, al-Sistani will make the final decision, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Feb 16, 2005 • Turkey Not Going Far Enough To Uphold Minorities' Rights: Council Of Europe Panel • Zebari Says Turkey’s Poll Worries Misplaced Feb 14, 2005 • Kurds Celebrate Their Strong Second-Place Showing The strong second-place showing by the Kurds will give them the leverage to demand that a senior Kurd, Jalal Talabani, be installed as president of Iraq, Mr. Barzani said. The Kurds will also insist on taking top cabinet posts, keeping broad autonomous powers to govern their northern region and administrating the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk, where large numbers of Kurds were displaced by Arab settlers under Mr. Hussein's policies. More Feb 13, 2005 • Kurdish Autonomy Ambitions Spurred By Poll Gains There is also a popular fear of Kurdish energies being squandered in Baghdad. "I don't think it's a good idea for Jalal Talabani to be president," said a woman in Suleimania. "He should be working for the people in Kurdistan, not to keep Iraq together." More • Kurds Win Absolute Majority In Kirkuk Province Kurds won 58.4 percent of votes, or 237,303 out of 405,951 ballots cast, the electoral commission said. Turkmen in second place with 16 percent of the vote, or 73,791 ballots. More Feb 12, 2005 • Thousands Of Kurds Demonstrate For Release Of Kurdish Leader Thousands of Kurds from across Europe demonstrated in this eastern French city on Saturday to demand the release of Turkey's jailed Kurdish separatist leader Abdullah Ocalan. More • Over 50 Kurds Go On Hunger Strike In Syrian Jail • Shiites And Kurds Set To Grab Presidency And Premiership • Kurdish Issue in Turkey Unresolved Following a trip to Turkey, an international delegation has deemed the country unfit to join the EU. With regard to the Kurdish issue, it concluded that the improvements were merely theoretical. More • Kurds Have The Power To Shape Iraq • Kurdish Refugees Stranded On Iraqi Side Of Jordan Border: UNHCR Feb 10, 2005 • Death Under Custody Confirmed • Barzani Against Sectarian Domination Of New Iraq Government • News Snapshot Barzani Is Firm on Kirkuk When asked if the US, Europe, or other states could make him surrender Kirkuk, Barzani replied: "Only death can stop me on this way. Other than this, no power or state in the world can make me give up Kirkuk. Moreover, these elections have shown Kirkuk's identity". Barzani noted that Kirkuk will be included in the borders of Kurdistan, reported Anadolu News Agency. ----------------- Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan said in a news conference "As neighbors of Iraq we are the ones who feel all the heat of the fire there. It is our right to pay attention and this has nothing to do with interference in internal affairs." ----------------- Gunmen ambushed a convoy of Kurdish party officials in Baghdad, killing one and wounding four. • Defining its Red Lines, Turkey Couldn't Do Anything In Southern Kurdistan Feb 9, 2005 • News Snapshot Two members of the KDP in Mosul were killed last Monday when Arab terrorists attacked a civilian vehicle. Also in Mosul, fierce fighting erupted between peshmerga forces and Arab terrorists, leading to two fatalities among the peshmerga fighters. • Members of Turkish Rights Board Call it Quits • Business Thriving in Southern Kurdistan • European Rights Court Condemns Turkey For Jailing Kurdish Writer Feb 8, 2005 • OCI To Double Capacity In Kurdistan • ANALYSIS: Iraq Still Clouds Turkey Ties Despite Rice Trip • Kurds Gain In Election At Expense Of The Shia • Arabs Fear Kirkuk Purge • Shia And Kurds Poised To Dominate Iraqi Government Feb 7, 2005 • News Snapshot A policeman was shot by assailants while shopping in central Kirkuk. Also, prominent Kurdish businessman, Najat Muheldin, 58, was also kidnapped as he shut his telecommunications and computer office in the city, said police chief General Yusif • After Strong Showing In Election, Kurds Debate Independence "The war against Saddam Hussein is over, and everyone has their freedom except the Kurds," Agha said, a gun resting against his wall, prayer beads laced through his fingers. "We are surrounded by enemies, and we can wait no longer for our own nation. It would be a great shame for the U.S. to abandon us." More • Talabani Vows To Include Sunnis Talabani said "I will do nothing without conversation and cooperation and coordination with Mr. Barzani and the Kurdish leadership here. And they also will not do anything without speaking with us." More • Independence Landslide In Kurd Poll: Organizers • Hadassah Hospital Hopes To Save Kurdish Boy's Life Feb 6, 2005 • News Snapshot Police in Ankara stepped up security for Rice's visit as thousands of anti-US activists held demonstrations, hours before her arrival. "No to war. US, get out of the Middle East. Rice, get out of Turkey." ----------------- President Massoud Barzani reiterated the Kurdish view that Kirkuk is a Kurdish city and told Turkey it had no right to meddle in Iraq’s affairs and said any military intervention by Ankara aimed at stalling the creation of a Kurdish state would end in “disaster”, reported Reuters. ----------------- Officials of the Shiite-led coalition that has rolled up a big lead in last weekend's elections said it wants the prime minister post in the upcoming government - casting doubt on chances that U.S.-backed Prime Minister Ayad Allawi can keep his job. Feb 5, 2005 • U.S. Secretary of Defense Blames Turkey For Arab Resistance • Barzani: Turkey Should Get Used To Kurdish State • EU to Take On Expense of Kurdish Translators • News Snapshot "We have agreed that Talabani is going to be the Kurds' candidate for one of the key posts in Baghdad, either the presidency or the prime minister. We will not accept other than that," Massoud Barzani, said on Thursday." Feb 4, 2005 • Talabani Demands Top Job In Iraqi Government • Kurds Disgruntled With Kurdish Parties • New Freedom in Kurdish Air • Disgruntled Turkey Awaits Rice With Growing Concern Over Southern Kurdistan • News Snapshot One of two suspected members of the Kurdish party Kongra-Gel, who were arrested in The Netherlands in January on suspicion of extorting money, has been released, the Dutch news agency ANP reported, quoting the prosecutor. Feb 3, 2005 • News Snapshot In Southern Kurdistan, 95 percent say they favor a separate state. More than 1.9 million Kurds in Southern Kurdistan— some 95 percent of those asked — voted for independence in an informal survey conducted by volunteers, reported Reuters ---------------------------------------- Commenting on an almost unanimous vote for independence held on 30 January, Massoud Barzani said on Wednesday that "when the right time comes it will become a reality. Self-determination is the natural right of our people, and they have the right to express their desires." ---------------------------------------- Peter Galbraith: It is hard in a democracy to hold people in a country they hate. The Kurds' demand for independence is not an immediate crisis, but it is a coming one • Turkish Rights Watchdog To File Complaint Over Summary Execution of Kurd Feb 2, 2005 • As Iraqis Celebrate, the Kurds Hesitate • Turkey's Erdogan Calls on US to Suppress Kurds • Kurds 'Hold Balance Of Power' In Iraq • Iraq Shiite Party May Need Deal With Kurds Iraq's main Shiite Muslim alliance expects to win the biggest share in the country's National Assembly but not enough to push through a political agenda or claim the prime minister's job without support from other parties - notably the Kurds. More • Kurds Set To Win Two-Thirds Of Vote In Kirkuk "The Kurdish districts must be returned to Kurdistan among them Kirkuk, If not, we will no longer be Iraqis," Top PUK deputy leader Noshirwan Mustafa warned. More

No Change In Turkish Regime's Mentality

Kurdish aims for a post-election Iraq

As Iraqis Celebrate, the Kurds Hesitate