10-03-2010
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Belgian media reported that the PKK was planning attacks in revenge for the recent Belgian police operations against Kurdish organizations. Six of the 18 arrested Kurds are still in prison.
The Belgian press agency BNP Paribas received an anonymous fax message, threatening with attacks between 8-14 March against the Belgian police, the Fortis bank group and Turkish institutions in Belgium. The Belgian police took precautions to protect possible targets.
According to Luc Verheyden, vice-director of the OCAD (Organ for Coordination and Analysis of Threats) the threat letter could likely come from a frustrated Kurd or the PKK. The Belgian police didn’t take the threat serious and later the OCAD concluded that the threat was implausible.
The PKK spokesman Roj Welat said the arrests are a provocation of the Kurds and a project of NATO, Turkey and America to cut off the voice of the Kurds. Welat claims Europe, America and Turkey do not want to solve the Kurdish issue by peaceful means. "All talks are meant to destroy the political representatives of the Kurdish people."
Roj Welat said that if Kurds are attacked, they might defend themselves, but he emphasized that that the strategy of the PKK is to use peaceful and democratic means. "Turkey might try to provoke the Kurds."
The Turkish government welcomed the Belgian police operations.
© Rudaw
