KURDINSTITUT E DE PARIS Information and liaison bulletin N°273 DECEMBER 2007 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: [email protected] Contents : • THE PRESIDENT OF KURDISTAN, MASSUD BARZANI, REFUSES TO MEET CONDOLEEZA RICE IN IRAQ AS A PROTEST AGAINST THE TURKISH ARMY’S OPERATIONS IN IRAQI KURDISTAN • KIRKUK: THE KURDISTAN PARLIAMENT ACCEPTS UNO’S PROPOSAL TO POSTPONE THE REFERENDUM ON THE CITY’S STATUS FOR SIX MONTHS • BERLIN: THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES FREE, AHEAD OF TIME, THE ASSASSINS OF SADEGH SHARAFKANDI AND THREE OF HIS COMPANIONS OF THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF IRAN • ANKARA: THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS THE PROVISIONAL MEASURES TO SUSPEND ALL PUBLIC ACTIVITY DEMANDED BY THE PROSECUTION AGAINST THE PRO-KURDISH DTP WHICH IS THREATENED WITH BANNING • THE LOWEST DEATH ROLL IN IRAQ SINCE FEBRUARY 2006: 568 IRAQIS KILLED IN DECEMBER • DAMASCUS: THE SYRIAN LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS CONDEMNS THE TRIALS AND SENTENCES OF KURDS BY THE HIGH COURT OF STATE SECURITY, A SPECIAL EMERGENCY COURT • TURKEY-E.U.: PARIS SUCCEEDS IN HAVING THE WORD “ACCESSION” REMOVED FROM A EUROPEAN COMMUNIQUÉ ON THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH TURKEY • THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR CRISIS: RUSSIA STARTS DELIVERING FUEL WHILE THE US INTELLIGENCE REVEALS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT IRAN HAD SECRET PLANS EVEN BEFORE 2003 • AS WELL AS … THE PRESIDENT OF KURDISTAN, MASSUD BARZANI, launched a new operation in REFUSES TO MEET CONDOLEEZA RICE IN IRAQ AS A Turkish Kurdistan. Ground PROTEST AGAINST THE TURKISH ARMY’S OPERATIONS units, Cobra helicopter gun- IN IRAQI KURDISTAN ships and Sikorsky helicopter transports were involved in N 26 December, the Staff declared that it had this operation, carried out in Turkish Armed Forces “struck objectives relating to the mountainous ranges of O confirmed that they had that group during a targeted Kupeli and Gabar, in Sirnak carried out a new air operation carried out efficiently Province. On 25 December raid against PKK positions in in the morning of 26 Decem- the Turkish General Staff Iraqi Kurdistan. In a commu- ber”, without giving any announced that its troops had niqué published on its Inter- details about possible vic- killed 11 Kurdish PKK fight- net site, the Turkish General tims. The Turkish Army also ers and captured two others • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 273 • December 2007 in 48 hours in the Sirnak lies had fled their homes to tion had not experienced any mountains. This is the third seek refuge in nearby villages damage”. “It has been shown air strike against the PKK that or caves, according to these that, in addition to heavy losses the Turkish Army has con- officials. For its part, the PKK inflicted on the terrorist organi- firmed since 16 December, in reported seven deaths — two sation, its supply and communi- addition to a “small scale” civilians and five fighters. cations systems had, to a large land operation. According to According to the private extent, been destroyed”, stated the Turkish press, the air Turkish TV channel NTV, this body in a communiqué operation was followed, on about fifty planes had taken published on its Internet site. 18 December by a land incur- part in these raids, while In his monthly television sion of limited scale — 500 to CNN-Turk, on 16 December, message to the nation, the 700 commandos. On 25 spoke of about twenty planes. Turkish Prime Minister December the Turkish Army On 1 December last, the Turk- declared, on 30 December, announced that 150 to 175 ish Army had carried out that Ankara would continue Kurdish fighters had been similar operations South-East to “use with determination the killed during the 16 Decem- of the border locality of political, military, social and ber strikes, which mainly tar- Cukurca. These raids and economic means” to fight the geted the Qandil massif, a shellings had not, however, PKK. mountainous region of Iraqi been immediately confirmed Kurdistan where several hun- by the Iraqi, Kurdish and Following the Turkish dreds of PKK fighters are American authorities. The Army’s operations, the White located. According to the 5November last, Turkish House expressed its anxiety Turkish General Staff, some Prime Minister Recep Tayyip at the danger of an escalation. 200 targets were destroyed in Erdogan had met US Presi- Scott Stanzel, a White House the course of this raid, includ- dent George W. Bush at the spokesman, indicated that the ing 16 command, training White House. The two lead- US authorities have “clearly and logistic bases, 82 caches, ers had committed them- indicated to the Turkish govern- ten anti-aircraft batteries as selves to exchanging more ment that anything that could well as 14 PKK munition information on the PKK, fol- lead to an escalation or to civil- dumps. In a previous com- lowing the adoption by the ian losses was worrying”. How- muniqué, on 16 December, Turkish Parliament of a reso- ever, the US, that controls the Turkish Army had indi- lution in favour of cross-bor- Iraqi air space, supplied cated that some air raids last- der interventions. At the end Turkey with help for these air ing three hours and, followed of a five-hour meeting on 28 raids into Iraqi Kurdistan. by artillery fire, had targeted December, the National Secu- The head of the Turkish Qandil PKK bases. rity Council (MGK), which Armed Forces General Staff, includes the country’s highest General Yasar Buyukanit, Various sources from the civilian and military officials, declared on the Kanal D TV Kurdish authorities indicated welcomed the results of the channel that the US forces that bridges, houses and even 16 December operations had supplied certain informa- a school had been destroyed against the PKK in Kurdish tion but “what is important is in about a dozen villages of territory in Iraq and stressed that, last night, the United Iraqi Kurdistan. Some fami- that “the areas of civilian habita- States opened the air space of n° 273 • December 2007 Information and liaison bulletin • 3 • Northern Iraq (Kurdistan). (…) Rice’s visit to Iraq. She went Baghdad to demand the end- In doing this, the United Sates first of all to Kirkuk, then to ing of these Turkish Army approved the operation”. On 19 Baghdad, where she met the operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, December, the Pentagon’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Mali- stating that these operations spokesman, Geoff Morrell, ki. The US Secretary of State could affect the “friendly rela- pointed out that Turkey had who was making a one-day tions” between the two coun- warned the US that it was visit to Iraq on 19 December, tries. On 17 December, the going to launch an air raid on refused any direct comment Iraqi Parliament indicated, in PKK positions in Iraqi Kur- on the Turkish incursion dur- a declaration that “Turkish distan 16 December, describ- ing a press conference with planes have bombed Iraqi vil- ing this “coordination” as “ade- her Iraqi opposite number, lages in Kurdistan, near the quate”. “We received notifica- Hoshyar Zebari, organised Turkish border, causing many tion before the bombardment”, after a meeting with Presi- innocent civilian victims (…) he declared during a press dent Jalal Talabani in Bagh- We firmly condemn this viola- conference, confirming, for dad. However, she stressed tion of Iraq’s sovereignty and of the first time, that the Penta- that the United States, Turkey the principle of neighbourly rela- gon had been informed of the and Iraq had “a common inter- tions”. The Iraqi Prime Minis- Turkish plans. “This was com- est in stopping the activities of ter, Nuri al-Maliki, for his municated to us via the Ankara the PKK, who threaten the sta- part, ordered that a commit- coordination centre, which was bility of the North”. “This is a tee be created to come to the opened a few months ago, and in Turkish decision. We have clear- help of the Kurdish families which Turkish and American ly expressed our government’s that had been obliged to flee military personnel work together anxieties to the Turkish govern- their villages after the recent to share information”, speci- ment regarding an action that Turkish strikes. “Mr. Maliki fied, refusing to say whether could lead to civilian victims or has ordered the creation of a the United States had sup- destabilise the North”, declared committee that is due to visit the plied information in the tar- Mrs. Rice. Mr. Zebari judged displaced families (in Kurdis- gets aimed at by Ankara. On the Turkish operations “unac- tan). They will each receive 1 2 December, the Turkish jour- ceptable”. To mark his disap- million dinars”, this is about nalist, Rusen Cakir, an expert proval of American support 830 dollars, stated a commu- on the PKK, had considered of Turkey, the Kurdish Presi- niqué on 30 December from on the NTV channel that “the dent, Massud Barzani, can- the Prime Minister’s press Americans and the Iraqis under- celled a planned meeting service. The UN High Com- stand that Turkey is going to act with Mrs. Rice in Baghdad. mission for Refugees (HCR) in one way or another.