The Syrian government accuses the Kurdish parties in Syria of being separatist

---

DAMASCUS/QAMSHLI, — The Syrian government accuses the Kurdish parties in Syria of being separatist, while the Kurdish parties reject this claim.

[eKurd File photo] The Kurdish movement in Syrian Kurdistan started in the 1950s. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was the first Kurdish party, with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish state, which would include Kurds from all states where they live. But the Kurdish nationalist movement split up in different factions eventually. Currently there are around 20 unlicensed Kurdish parties in Syria. None of them ask for Kurdish independence and insteadof autonomy, they are increasingly changing their demands to simply Kurdish cultural rights.
The Syrian government is now accusing Muhammed Safo, senior member of the Kurdish Left Party in Syria, who is in a prison in Qamishlo [Eastern Kurdistan], of separatism. But his party asks for cultural and administrational rights for the Kurds inside Syria. But Syria says he wants to cut off a part of Syria and annex it to another country. This is an accusation that Syria uses for all Kurdish politicians.

Muhammad Musa, Secretary of Kurdish Left Party in Syria rejects the claims of the Syrian government. “None of the Kurdish parties in Syria have separation or independent on its agenda, but when you say you are Kurdish, the Baath-regime considers you as a separatist ,” Musa told Rudaw. “We are asking to solve Kurdish problem in Syria peacefully and democratically, and accept Kurds as second nation after Arabs and to fix this in the constitution” stated Musa.

“The prosecutor accused me of many things such as trying to change Syrian regime and cutting parts of Syrian land and annexing it to another country, while we had criticized Syrian government for some of their policies,” said Muhammad Musa, who has been in prison in Syria for a while.

Some Kurdish parties only ask cultural rights and citizenship for the 100,000 Kurds without citizenship. Some Kurdish party ask for autonomy, but none of them ask for independence.

“According to the ideology of Baath party in Syria, non-Arab people, particularly Kurds, are accused of separation from Syria, but these are only accusations without any logical background,” said Abdul Baqi Yousif, senior member of Kurdish United Party in Syria.

“The Syrian government tries to show Arabs inside Syria and outside, that Syria is threatened, and this shows the fact that Syria see every one as its enemy, this why they are accusing people of such reasons,” said Yousif who is living in the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq.

Yousif criticized some Kurdish political parties for minimizing Kurdish problem in Syria to citizenship only. “Unfortunately there are some parties who are minimizing Kurdish problem and looking at Kurdish problem in being citizen of Syria only, but it’s the matter of people and land,” stated Yousif.

He also mentioned that according to all international rules, Kurds have right to independent nation, as all the other nations of the world. “But this has not mentioned in our agenda because the [political] conditions do not allow this,” said Yousif.

Kurds constitute around ten per cent of the 22 million Syrian population and live mostly in the agricultural areas of the north and northeast. International and local organisations say they suffer political and cultural discrimination. IWPR reports that the call for autonomy of Kurdish parties caused a rift between the Syrian dissidents and Syrian Kurdish parties.

London demonstration 17 April 2010 – Kurds and Arabs stand together with British people

---

Members of Amnesty International rallied human rights activists in many countries on Saturday 17 April 2010, to mark the 64th anniversary of the Syrian independence with protests about the imprisonment of human rights defenders. In London about 125 people gathered in front of the Syrian Embassy with pictures and pleas for the release of a cross-section of people who are suffering in detention in Syria for their beliefs. The following photos speak for themselves, and show a peaceful demonstration where Kurds and Arabs stood side by side with British people together in a common cause.

Ellis Brooks – the main co-ordinator of this London demonstration and member of Amnesty International – wrote a letter appealing for the release of these people that was signed by some of the people attending the demonstration and taken to the Embassy. No-one answered the door and so the letter was posted through the letterbox, with a request that it be handed to the Ambassador for passing on to the President of Syria.

Iran: Two Kurdish Political Prisoners Dead Under Torture

---

Urmiye- Eastern Kurdistan: The Iranian Theocratic Regime keeps committing crimes against humanity and the atrocities it carries out against the Kurdish people particularly the Kurdish political prisoners have reached a tragic point. On Sunday 18th April Two Kurdish political prisoners detained in the Urmiye Prison, cell number 9 and 11 were killed under callous and inhuman tortures. According to the news from the Iranian Human Rights Organisation HARANA, a political prisoner named as Irac Xemengiz was tortured to death yesterday morning 18th April. The reason for that has not yet been revealed. When the rest of the detainees heard the news of the death of the fellow prisoner, they launched a protest to condemn the killing. To silence and suppress the protest, a team of Special Forces headed by Akber Peshrew was deployed in the prison yard and as the result of that a clash between the prisoners and the Special Forces occurred. The clash of the prisoners with the Special Forces caused in another death; Mr Safeyedin Ehyazade was killed as the result of a blow of the baton of the Iranian Forces which hit his head.

Turkish Minister of Energy Attacked During Funeral

---

Kayseria- Turkey: The Turkish energy minister's nose was broken after an attack by an assailant during a funeral in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri on Monday.

An assailant punched Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz in the face during the funeral of lieutenant Levent Cetinkaya, who lost his life at Gulhane Military Hospital in Ankara after getting heavily wounded in a recent armed attack in the southeastern province of Sirnak.

After the attack, the assailant was immediately detained by the minister's bodyguards. And the Minister Yildiz was taken to Erciyes University's Cevher Nesibe Hospital for treatment. The minister's "nasal bone was broken and nasal soft tissues were bruised", doctors said.

The attack on Turkish Energy Minster came few days after when the Kurdish leader Ahmed Turk was attacked by few fascist Turks while he was making a presentation.

It's Official: Turkey Breaks International Landmine Ban!

---

ISTANBUL, Turkey, April 16 (UPI) -- Records indicating the Turkish military planted banned landmines in a southeastern province a year ago were published in a Turkish newspaper Friday.

The Taraf daily published military documents showing M2A4 anti-personnel mines were planted on the outskirts of the province of Sirnak on April 9, 2009, despite Turkey's voluntary agreement to be mine-free by March 1, 2014, Zaman reported.

Turkey signed on to the Mine Ban Treaty, or the Ottawa Treaty, along with 155 other countries in 2003. Turkey agreed to completely destroy its landmine stocks by March 1, 2008, although the process is still ongoing, the report said.

The treaty also calls for the country to be swept and cleared of all mines by March 1, 2014.

However, because the treaty is voluntary, there is no punishment for non-compliance.

Last May, seven Turkish soldiers were killed by a landmine in the same region and suspicions were published the mines had been planted by the banned separatist Kurdistan group known as the PKK. A subsequent investigation determined the mine belonged to the Turkish military, the report said.

There was no immediate response from military officials about the report. Source:

UPI

Iran: Hussein Xizri transferred to Qezwin prison for his due execution

---

Iran- Qezwin: After 7 days of disappears it was founded out that the Kurdish political prisoner Hussein who has been sentenced to death was transferred from Tehran to another detention in the city of Qezwin to carry out his due execution.

On Sunday 11th April Mr. Xizri was taken from his prison to an unknown place. After 7 days it was founded out that he was taken to Qezwin detention where his execution is due to take place.

Mr. Xizri was sentenced to death in 11th July 2009 by the Revolutionary Court of Urmiye due to his membership in the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK). During the course of his detention Mr. Xizri was subjected to extensive systematic torture by the Iranian Intelligence Service as well as the Iranian Military Corps. Due to the torture that Mr. Xizri has received he has lost 25% of his eye sights.

The Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) founded in 2004 with the ideology of democratic liberation and with the intention to set up a democratic system in Iran and to create a democratic self-rule for the Kurds in the Eastern Kurdistan (Iran). The PJAK accepts and envisages the ecological-democratic society and gender equality as the fundamental column of its ideology. Its initial goal is to limit and change the authority and domination of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to democratise it in four fundamental areas; the nation, the society, the citizenship and to evolve the state into a self-governing institution which is able to deliver public services, to maintain public security that would be synonymous to public authority.

Iran: The Whole Family Sentenced to Death

---

The persecution of dissenting voices in Iran has been escalating and within that framework of these policies the whole members of a family was sentenced to death on Saturday 17th April.

The report said that after the revelation of the death sentences given to Mutehir Behrami, who was arrested on Ashura Day, it was found out that his wife, his son , a member of his relative as well as one of his friends have been given death sentences. They have been charged with Muhareb which means; “the enemy of God”.

It was revealed that a member of this family was engaged with one of the opposition groups to the Iranian Theocratic Regime. According to the report that membership was the reason for the death sentences.

Turkey: Kurdish leader attacked by some fascist Turks

---

Turkey- Samsun: The Kurdish leader of the banned Democratic Society Party (DTP), Ahmet Turk, was attacked by some fascist Turks in front of the Turkish police standing beside. The assailants punched Mr. Ahmed Turk on Monday as he represented a press statement outside a courtroom in Samsun.

Mr. Turk on Monday represented a press statement in front of the court where a trial regarding the incidents in the Bulanık district of Muş on Dec. 15, 2009 that left two people dead was taking place. Two fascist Turkish men attacked him as he read the statement, punching him in the face and bombarding him with the offensive and vulgar remarks.

Mr. Turk was badly injured and was bleeding seriously. He was taken to hospital after the attack and after all he was detained by police.

Ahmed Turk was the co-leader of the banned Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), the only Kurdish party who had 22 parliamentarians as well as 99 municipalities. But despite all these popular supports the DTP was closed down due to its alleged link to the Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK)

Singer Chopy dreams of freedom for Kurds

Rudaw - The biggest dream of the Kurdish singer Chopy is the ‘freedom for other parts of Kurdistan’, referring to the autonomy in the Kurdistan region in Iraq, Kurds in other countries do not have.

She says that she is willing to perform for free in Kurdish cities like Van, Diyarbakir and Cizir, in the Kurdish parts of Turkey.

Chopy is accused by Kurds for supporting one Kurdish political party over the other. “When I went to Medya TV and Roj TV, they said that I was a PKK supporter [Kurdistan Workers Party lead by Ocalan]. But when they found out my father was a Peshmerga that worked for the KDP [Kurdistan Democratic Party lead by Massoud Barzani], they said I was a KDP member. But when I married with someone who is family of Jalal Talabani, they said immediately that I was for the PUK [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan lead by Talabani].”

But she rejected these labels. “I am a Kurdish artist and a greater Kurdistan is my country. I attach great important to my experiences in the Kurdistan Region, but the liberation of other parts of great Kurdistan is my biggest dream.”

Soon Chopy will release a new album, with six songs in the Kurdish Sorani dialect and two songs in the Kurdish dialect of Kurmanci.

© Rudaw

Kurdish media suppressed in Iran

09-04-2010

Rudaw – Kurdish journalists from Iranian Kurdistan think journalism is like “walking in a minefield”. They have no hope of a free media under the shadow of the Iranian regime. Many Kurdish journalist get arrested and Kurdish newspapers are banned.

According to the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, Iran is one of the worst countries for journalism. Iran fell from last year's 166th place to 172 in the press freedoms index of RSF after many journalists were jailed. The task of journalism became more difficult after the reelection of Ahmadinejad. Some international organizations describe Iran as a “prison for journalists.”

According to information of Rudaw, more than 351 journalists were fired from their jobs, 25 daily and weekly newspapers were banned and more than 100 journalists were arrested. 61 newspaper editors and other senior staff of newspapers were questioned for investigations last year.

As a result Kurdish newspapers and publications are in a difficult situation. Now more than 10 Kurdish journalists are in prison and many Kurdish journalists fled from Iran since lest year. All independent Kurdish newspapers and publications have been banned by Iranian regime.

Some of the banned newspapers are Ashti, Rozhalat, Aso, Karaftoo, Hawar, Payami Kurdistan, Payam mardam, Rasan, Zhiwar, Nadai Jamiha, Nadai Danishjo, Khatun, Rozha nu, Zilan and more others.

After changing its staff, the Sirwan weekly newspaper is the only Kurdish newspaper which is still published in Iran. Zrebar was a monthly Kurdish social and cultural magazine in Iran, but it’s has been banned too. Dr. Salahaddin Khadiw, a Kurdish journalist stated that Kurdish journalism in Iran is in a difficult situation. “Kurdish journalism is facing a very bad situation in Iran. Not any independent publication is permitted” said Dr. Khadiw. “After Ahmadinejad came to power, he didn’t permit any of critical newspapers or publications”. Dr. Khadiw believes that the best period for journalism in Iran was under the Iranian reformists led by Khatami. During that period there were seven Kurdish weekly newspapers and many other Kurdish magazines. “There is no independent Kurdish newspaper in Iran now,” added Dr. Khadiw.

The 10 jailed journalists are“Adnan Hasanpoor, Hiwa Butimar, Muhammad Sadiq Kabudwand, Mukhtar Zarhi, Abas Jalilian, Ali Muhammad Islampoor and some others.

Although reformists tried their best to amend the Iranian journalism law, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran prevented this. “The Iranian journalism law is very primitive and doesn’t fit in with any principals of journalism,” concluded Dr. Khadiw.

© Rudaw

Turkey: 7 soldiers killed by mines planted by Turkish Army, not by PKK

Friday, 09 April 2010

Northern Kurdistan- Van: That was confirmed by the Turkish Military that the mines that killed seven Turkish soldiers last year belonged to the military and were not planted by Kurdish guerrillas, Turkish media reported Friday.

According to prosecutors in the Kurdish city of Van, the mines that killed the Turkish soldiers on May 27, 2009, were made of materials manufactured by a state-owned weapons manufacturer. They were produced by the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK).

The investigation into the incident, which was originally blamed on the members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) started after the revelations that came out of the recordings of conversations between two commanders. In the recordings, one commander was telling the other one that the mines had been positioned for the security reasons. Several former and serving high-ranking officers are now being held on suspicion of planning a coup against the AKP governemnt.

It should be noted that the explosion occurred just before a scheduled meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Kurdish politicians including Ahmed Turk the co-chair of Kurdish Democratic Society (DTP). The meeting was seen as a fundamental step toward the solution of the Kurdish issue. Even since then Erdogan cancelled the meeting after the explosion and he has failed to invite the Kurdish representatives for the meeting.