INSTITUT KUDE RPARD IS E Information and liaison bulletin N°312 MARCH 2011 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCID) aqnd the Fonds d’action et de soutien pour l’intégration et la lutte contre les discriminations (The Fund for action and support of integration and the struggle against discrimination) This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Numéro de la Commission Paritaire : 659 15 A.S. ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Contents • KIRKUK: TENSIONS OVER THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PESHMERGAS. • IRAQI KURDISTAN: THE HISTORIC VISIT OF THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER. • SYRIA: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE “ARAB SPRING” CONTAGION, THE KURDS ARE REMAINING CAUTIOUS. • TURKEY: IBRAHIM TATLISES HAS SURVIVED THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO MURDER HIM. • CULTURE: HINER SALEEM’S FILM: “IF YOU DIE I’LL KILL YOU” HAS BEEN RELEASED. KIRKUK: TENSIONS OVER THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PESHMERGAS he “day of anger” that his reasons were only their quarters and on Kurdish organised throughout because of just one of the political party offices. T Iraq on 25 February demonstrators’ demands, name - with a mixed backing ly the withdrawal of the This fear was confirmed, accord - depending on the Peshmergas from the Province. ing to Jafar Mustafa, by a hostile regions, had the unexpected result anti-Kurdish statement by some of inflaming the debate about However the Kurdish Minister Arab movements: “ The Baathists Kirkuk and its status, a source of for the Peshmergas, Jafar Sheikh intended to attack the institutions conflict between Kurds and Iraqis. Mustafa, retorted that his troops’ run by the Kurds and by the The governor of Kirkuk, in deed, presence was necessary because Turcomen (…) when the police banned an Arab demonstration in of the danger that the behaviour alone would be have to ensure secu - the city and imposed a curfew, of some extremist Iraqi Arabs rity in Kirkuk were the Peshmergas while troops and Peshmergas sur - towards the Kurds in Kirkuk. to withdraw ”. Jafar Mustafa rounded Kirkuk. Thus, since the latter were refus - added that the Arab agitators he ing to take part in these demon - incriminated did not represent The pro-Arab parties violently strations, they seemed to fear an the views of the “real” Arabs of criticised this decision, arguing attack by the demonstrators in Kirkuk. • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 312 • March 2011 General Aziz Waisi, commander Province’s towns, Hawja and protested at the fact that Jalal of the Zerevani (Kurdish Special Riyadh, and three police killed. Talabani’s position “ did not repre - forces) also confirmed that the The controversy very soon sent any group or party but was aim of the Kurdish troops was to spread beyond the Iraqi borders President of Iraq ”. He also added protect their fellow countrymen when the Turkish newspaper that the Kurds’ “ inclination ” to from attacks by Arab extremists. Milliyet , commenting on the visit annex Kirkuk was “enormous” “We have come to Kirkuk at the to the Kurdistan Region of a and that they had a “ strategic Governor’s request. We will not with - Turkish Foreign Ministry delega - vision ” behind this. draw our forces until he asks us to ”. tion led by Fereydun Sinirlioglu, Assistant Foreign Minister, An Arab member of the Kirkuk Rizgar Ali, a Kurdish member of reported that the object of the Provincial Council, Mohammed the Kirkuk Provincial Council, visit was not only to meet Khalil al-Juburi, also criticised for his part, recalled that the President Barzani but to raise the this stand, saying that, as Kurds had not been deployed Kirkuk issue and the stationing President of Iraq, he should round the city without US agree - of Kurdish forces there. Thus the remain impartial. ment. “ This was due to an agree - delegation is alleged to have ment reached between the Minister expressed its “concern” for the The Kurds, on the other hand, for the Peshmergas and the city’s Turcoman community and retorted that, at this PUK rally, American forces ”. asked the President to withdraw Jalal Talabani was only speaking his troops. as leader of his own party. Moreover, the Peshmergas were stationed in other zones with a However, Jabbar Yawar, the This did not prevent some Iraqi large Kurdish population not yet Pershmerga Ministry’s M.P.s of the Al-Iraqiyya group incorporated in the Kurdistan spokesman, replied that this was from launching a petition Region, in some districts of a purely internal Iraqi business demanding that Jalal Talabani be Diyala Province. Thus the dis - and that, to the best of his “summoned” to Parliament. This trict of Jalawla had lost 600 knowledge, the Turkish govern - demand was rejected by the Kurdish families, obliged to flee ment had never made any such National Coalition, the group to the Kurdistan Region after request. led by Prime Minster Nuri al- being threatened by Arab militia Maliki, who considered that it — over 400 Kurdish civilians Far form calming down, the con - would harm the developing had been assassinated by insur - troversy were still further political stability, that Kirkuk gent groups over the last three inflamed when the Iraqi was an Iraqi province and that years. Since then, Pehmergas President, Jalal Talabani, stated Jalal Talabani’s remarks had not from Suleimaniah have been sta - on 7 March that Kirkuk was changed anything. tioned there permanently, as “Kurdistan’s Jerusalem ” — a decla - Mahmud Samgawi, their com - ration of faith that people were Meanwhile, pressure is continu - mander explained: “ Under cover more used to hearing from ing, both from Americans and of demonstrations, some terrorists Masud Barzani, even though Iraqis, for the withdrawal of wanted to attack the Kurds and Talabani was not expressing him - Kurdish Peshmergas from massacre them. The situation is now self as President of the Republic, Kirkuk — pressures that come stable and the Peshmergas are but as leader of his party, the up against persistent Kurdish remaining in Jalawla ”. PUK, in its stronghold of refusal. The web site of the Suleimaniah at a commemoration Kurdish press, AKnews even In a joint press conference, of the 1919 Kurdish uprising. spoke, on 15 March, of a two- Kurdish and Turcoman members week ultimatum from the of Parliament for the Province While the Arab and Turcoman Americans for such a withdraw - described the situation as “very members of Parliament were al. This news was rapidly denied sensitive” and insisted on the indignant, others saw there a pos - by a spokesman of the Kurdish urgent need for provincial elec - sible attempt to calm down the Parliamentary coalition in tions. issue or get round the controver - Baghdad, Muayyid al-Tayyib. sy the Kurdish government is fac - Confirming the Kurds’ fears for ing in this city. However, politi - At the same time, as the their security, some government cians hostile to this incorporation, Governor of Kirkuk Province buildings and police stations such as Wihda al-Diemeili, a resigned this month, a new were attacked and set on fire on Member of Parliament for the Governor and a new head of the 25 February in two of the Sunni Arab block Al-Iraqiyya, Provincial Council were elected n° 312 • March 2011 Information and liaison bulletin • 3• — much to the displeasure of This Kurdo-Turcoman alliance South-East of Kirkuk to be some local Arab political public was not to the taste of the Arab replaced by US troops 0n 28 figures, who had called for these parties, who denounced this March. Kurdish troops remain to elections to be boycotted. As a “marginalisation”. the North and Northeast. The result, a Kurdish M.P., Dr, Peshmerga Minister officially Najmaldin Karim, was elected Finally, despite earlier denials of announced that an agreement Governor and a Turcoman, “American pressure ”, the had been reached with the Iraqi Hassan Toran, became head of Peshmerga forces withdrew and American forces for apply - the Kirkuk Provincial Council. from some positions to the ing new security measures. IRAQI KURDISTAN: THE HISTORIC VISIT OF THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER n 28 and 29 March, the Recep Tayyip Erdogan took footing of economic cooperation Turkish Prime Minister, advantage of this visit to officially — but also linguistic since O Recep Tayyip Erdogan open, with Masud Barzani, the Mehmet Simsek, a native of visited Iraq, accompa - recently enlarged Irbil Airport, Batman, was able to make a nied by several which can now handle 150 flights speech in Kurdish, speaking of the Ministers and a delegation of a day. In his inaugural speech, the “millennial brotherhood ” of Kurds businessmen “ to discuss major President of the Kurdistan Region and Turks. However, at a time political and economic relations with described the new international when Kurdish elected representa - this neighbouring country and to Airport as “ a first step in the build - tives can still be taken to court for strengthen economic cooperation and ing of a solid infrastructure through - making a speech in Kurdish regional issues ”, according to a out Iraq and particularly in before their electorate, many saw Turkish diplomatic source. He Kurdistan. It is the key to many pro - this more as an attempt to added that the question of the jects, on much bigger scale, for the appease or win the favours of the struggle against the PKK was also development of Kurdistan and of Kurdish electorate for the coming tackled with the Iraqi President, Iraq ”. elections. Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Muri al-Malilki.