Text News

Oct 31, 2004

• Come Back to Kirkuk, Governor Beckons

• Demo in The Hague Against Extradition To Turkey Of PKK Leader

Oct 30, 2004

• Divisions Within The PUK

The Kurdish paper, Hawlati, reported that deep divisions have surfaced among the leadership of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that could lead to serious consequences for the party and its leader Mr. Talabani. More

• Political Parties In Western Kurdistan Call For Rally

Oct 29, 2004

• Kurdish Guerrillas Attack Turkish Army

• "Boom" Near The Zaitoon Division

Oct 26, 2004

• News Snapshot

A bomb hidden near the Baghdad home of Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was discovered and defused Sunday, police said. In July, gunmen had opened fire on a car belonging to Zebari killing one official and wounding two others. He was not in the
vehicle at the time, reported AP

Oct 25, 2004

• Protesters In Kirkuk Threaten To Boycott Elections

• Kurdish Peaceful March Planned for October 31

• Dawn of a New Day: Kurds Pleased With Bush

• News Snapshot

An Arab Islamic group said it had assassinated the chief of police in Arbil and warned to kill Kurdish leader Barzani. "This is a clear message to the ally of the Jews, the agent Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to tell the scoundrel that we are coming and the hands of the mujahideen will soon reach you, God willing, and America cannot help you," said the statement which was dated Sunday, reported Reuters

Two Turkish soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a land mine in Northern Kurdistan, reported the state owned news agency Anatolia. Also, Anatolia said four soldiers were injured in a land mine explosion near the city of Amed.

Oct 24, 2004

• Turkey Looks South, and Worries

• Police Chief Shot Dead in Southern Kurdistan

• Turkish Regime: No Entry to Turkey With "Kurdistan On Passports"

• Two Security Guards Killed In Attack By Kurdish Fighters

• Italy Agrees To Take In 13 Kurdish Stowaways

Oct 23, 2004

• Kurd Activist Sets Up New Party

Oct 22, 2004

• Kurdish PM Meets With Top US Officials in Washington

In an official visit to Washington, the Kurdish PM Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Washington late last week to explain his administration's stance on several important issues regarding Southern Kurdistan and Iraq, a KDP official told the Kurdistan Observer today. More

• Talabani: U.S. Mistreatment Blamed for Iraq Violence

• Edelman: We Are Worried About Kirkuk

• Passports Giving Birthplace as Kurdistan Rejected

• Laughing Into The Void, Making The Machine Speak Kurdish

Oct 21, 2004

• Powell Deputy Meets Nechirvan Barzani Amid Tension Over Kirkuk

• Iraqi Investor Sees Resorts in the Kurdish North

• Harbert's Parlak Faces New Charges

•Third Trial For Kurdish ex-lawmakers, But No More Jail Time Risk

Oct 20, 2004

• A Statement From Kurdistan Referendum Movement

• New Political Party in Northern Kurdistan

Oct 18, 2004

• Barzani Sees Kirkuk joining Southern Kurdistan

Oct 17, 2004

• Barzani Warns neighbors Not To Meddle In Kirkuk Issue

• Turkish Regime Releases Mahdi Zana

• Summit Discusses Kirkuk Discontent

• Shiites Considering Alliance For Election

• Losing Mosul?

• News Snapshot

A member of the Turkoman Front political group was assassinated today in Southern Kurdistan while driving his children to school, police said. Col. Burhan Taha said politician Ghafour Abu Bakr was killed at 8.30am (local time) in Kirkuk when unknown attackers opened fire, killing him and slighting injuring his two children, reported Reuters yesterday.

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Iraq's Christians who are increasingly targeted by insurgents, are fleeing Baghdad for the safety of the Southern Kurdistan, reported AP.

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The US military said three soldiers, a marine and a civilian translator were killed and one soldier wounded in two car bombings on Friday, one in the northern city of Mosul and another near the city of Qaim on Iraq's border with Syria. Also on Saturday, a Kurd working for the education ministry was shot dead in Mosul, reported AFP.

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Kurdistan Democratic Party is planning to launch a new satellite TV channel in Southern Kurdistan. The new station, which will be called Zagros TV, will start its broadcasting programs on November 1 of this year.

Oct 16, 2004

• Mehdi Zana Arrested On Return To Turkey

• Osman Ocalan: Not Collaborating With U.S. Is Stupidity

• Turkish Journalist Detained Over Interview With Kurdish Rebels: Colleague

• News Snapshot

The KDP leader Massoud Barzani began a three-day visit to Syria on Friday. Barzani, who arrived form Jordan, said he would discuss a number of subjects with Syrian leaders. They included federalism in Iraq, relations between the two countries and the question of Kirkuk, reported AFP

Oct 15, 2004

• News Snapshot

Syrian regime have arrested three Kurds, human rights lawyer Anwar Bunni said on Thursday. "Military security arrested three Kurds in the town of Amuda as part of the clampdown linked to the fatal riots that took place last March in the northeast, he said, repeating his call for political prisoners to be freed, reported AFP

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A representative of the PUK says that his party is prepared for an armed struggle to ensure Kirrkuk’s Kurdistani identity. “We and the KDP share the same view regarding this issue,” Sadon Faili, the PUK spokesperson in Baghdad told daily Al-Hayat, referring to the culturally-stirred conflict of Kirkuk, reported Peyamner

• Kurdish Activist Accuses EU Hopeful Turkey of 'Cosmetic' Changes

• A Clear Message To Barzani

• Zana Requests Constitutional Support of Kurdish Self-Expression

Oct 14, 2004

• Mass Kurdish Graves Unearth Evidence Against Saddam

"I've been doing grave sites for a long time, but I've never seen anything like this: women and children executed for no apparent reason," said Mr Kehoe, who spent five years investigating mass graves in Bosnia for the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. More

• Turkey Claims Say Over Kirkuk

• Turkish Media: Barzani Softens: Kirkuk is a Symbol of Cohabitation

• News Snapshot

Leyla Zana finally received the European Parliament's Sakharov prize for human rights Wednesday after being released in June from a decade in Turkish detention

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According to the Turkish daily paper Aksham, the Turkish president warned Barzani not to follow the Isreali path, adding that Israel is the source of conflict since it was established. Aksham also reports that Mr Barzani was told that neither Turkey nor the neighboring countries will accept federalism that would lead to an independent Kurdistan, and if Kurds go this way, they will likely lose what they have achieved so far.

Oct 13, 2004

• Massoud Barzani : Kurds Ready To Fight For Kirkuk

Massoud Barzani said that the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in Southern Kurdistan had a Kurdish "identity" and vowed to fight any force attempting to oppress its people, whether Kurds or other ethnic groups. More

Oct 12, 2004

• Syrian Regime Sentences a Kurdish Student To Three Years In Prison

• Barzani Holds "Positive" Talks In Turkey

• Kurds Disillusioned By The Main Parties But See No Alternative

• New Movie Supports Iraq Invasion

• The Zaitoon and Kurds: Partners for Reconstruction, Security

• Turkish Contractor, Kurdish Translator Beheaded: Iraq Group's Video

Oct 11, 2004

• Barzani and Salih Say Self Determination Is "People's Natural Rights"

Oct 9, 2004

• Barzani Due In Turkey For talks On Kirkuk

• Kurds See Bright Future In EU

• Turkish Prime Minister slanders international human rights organizations

• South Korean Troops To Restore Ancient Castle in Arbil

• Quick Exit From Iraq Is likely

• Kurd Activist Finally To Be Hailed For Rights Award

Oct 8, 2004

• Iraq Militant Statement Claims Capture of Kurd, Killing Of Police Chief

• Dispute Over Kirkuk Could Derail Iraqi Peace, Turkey Warns

• News Snapshot

Turkey will face a very stringent inspection mechanism on human rights and cultural freedoms (read that as "Kurdish rights)." Additionally, if there are any unfortunate developments concerning the military's influence in politics and foreign relations -- like military intervention in a neighboring country -- the negotiations will be suspended immediately, said TDN columnist Gunduz Aktan

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A German delegation from the Baviera State visited Amed, Northern Kurdistan. The delegation's Chairman Gabriel Goltz said they came to Amed to observe the services given by the local authorities and the developments in the villages, directly.

Oct 7, 2004

• Yawer Says Referendum in Southern Kurdistan Is "National Betrayal"

• Sweden To Resettle 368 Iran Kurds Stranded On Iraq-Jordan Border

• Three Peshmarga, Civilian Killed In Attack North of Baghdad

• EU Commission Says Yes To Turkey Talks

• Kurds Continue To Flee Cities Of Sunni Triangle

Oct 6, 2004

• News Snapshot

In a joint press conference in Irbil with the British Foreign Minister Jack straw who arrived in Irbil on Tuesday, the Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said "Our policy and stance is clear, we refuse to compromise on any grounds regarding Kirkuk," refuting the speculations that UK puts pressure on the Kurdish leaders to make concessions on Kirkuk.

Oct 5, 2004

• Terrorist State Of Syria Tortures Kurdish Man To Death

• Turkey Eases Repression Of Its Kurds

Oct 4, 2004

• Turkey: Progress on Human Rights Key to EU Bid

• Iran Warns Iraq Over Alleged Israeli Presence in Southern Kurdistan

• News Snapshot

In a second day of demonstrations in the Kurdish city of Kirkuk, protestors brandished banners calling for the departure of the Arabs and the return of Kurds chased from their homes as part of Saddam's efforts to change its population makeup. Demonstrators also called for the departure of loyalists of the old regime they accused of blocking the return of displaced Kurds.

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A Turkish soldier and a Kurdish rebel were killed in Northern Kurdistan, Turkish state news agency Anatolia reported Sunday.

Oct 3, 2004

• Kurds Demonstrate for Kirkuk's Incorporation In Autonomous Region

• Leading Egypt MP says Israel spying on Iran, Syria from Iraqi Kurdistan

• Istanbul's First Private Kurdish Course Opens

• News Snapshot

In several Kurdish cities across Southern Kurdistan, tens of thousands of Kurds demonstrated, demanding an independent Kurdistan with Kirkuk as its capital.

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A Turkish soldier was killed and three others were wounded Saturday in fighting with Kurdish fighters in Northern Kurdistan, the Anatolia news agency reported.

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The newly appointed Secretary General of KDP in Eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan, Mustafa Hijiri, says that his party has detailed information about Al Qaida training camps in Iran. "We have detailed intelligence reports on the training locations of members belonging to Al Qaida and Ansar al Islam organizations," Hijiri said in an interview published by Kurdish daily Medya.

Oct 1, 2004

• Kirkuk Mayor's Bodyguard Found Shot Dead

• Rebel Violence in Turkey Could Erode Kurds' Gains

• Oil-rich South Holds Talks On Plan For Self-Rule

KurdistanObserver.com

Dutch Court Forbids Extradition Of Kurdish Leader To Turkey

THE HAGUE, Nov 8 (AFP) - A Dutch court ruled Monday that a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party could not be extradited to Turkey because there were not enough guarantees that she would be fairly treated.

Announcing its verdict in the case of Nuriye Kesbir, the court in The Hague said the Dutch government should not have taken Turkish diplomatic assurances of fair treatment at face value.

Protest in The Hague in October

Kurds in the Netherlands have protested against the extradition plan

Turkey accuses Kesbir of being behind at least 25 attacks between 1993 and 1995 on military targets in eastern Turkey, where the PKK party is fighting for Kurdish self-rule.

In September, Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner said he had agreed to a Turkish request to extradite Kesbir after a Dutch supreme court decision in May that she could be sent to Turkey to stand trial.

At the time, the ministry said that its decision came "after obtaining the express guarantee from the Turkish authorities that (Kesbir) will get a fair trial according to the relevant international treaties."

The court in The Hague was her last legal recourse to appeal the decision.

It ruled Monday that the minister could not have "reasonably decided" that she could be extradited based on general guarantees of a fair trial given by the Turkish embassy.

It pointed to reports from diplomats and several human rights organisations alleging that Turkey was still violating human rights, despite undertaking a series of judicial reforms.

"Against the background of what the reports say about the human rights situation in Turkey -- noting that the substance of the reports is not being challenged -- the minister should not have been satisfied with the guarantees given in general terms by the Turkish embassy that the Turkish authorities would honour their international obligations with regards to (Kesbir)," the court said.

Kesbir's lawyer Britta Boehler said her client was "extremely relieved" about the ruling.

"I just spoke to her on the phone and she is very happy, which is understandable after a long period of great uncertainty," the lawyer told Dutch news agency ANP.

Boehler added that it is still possible for the Dutch authorities to appeal the ruling.

The PKK-leader has always denied being involved in the attacks and claims she dealt only with women's issues as a member of the group's presidential council before she was arrested at Amsterdam airport in September 2001.

She has said she fears she will face an unfair trial and might be tortured if she returns to Turkey, but Dutch authorities rejected her application for political asylum in the Netherlands.

The PKK, now also known as KONGRA-GEL, waged a 15-year war for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey before announcing a unilateral ceasefire in 1999.

The group called off the truce in June this year, threatening to carry out attacks and warning tourists and investors to stay away from the country.

Since then, there has been a sharp increase in clashes between the rebels and government troops.

KurdistanObserver.com