WKI Calls on Albright to Protest Turkish Intervention in Iraqi Kurdistan;
Calls for US Leadership to Promote Steps for Lasting Peace and Stability
Washington, D.C. – WKI President Najmaldin O. Karim, and Executive Director Mike Amitay, today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright. The letter stated the following:
“We urge that the United States Government immediately call upon the Government of Turkey to halt its violent intervention in the conflict between Kurdish parties in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkish military support for the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) has undermined U.S. and British mediation efforts and made it impossible for Turkey to be considered a neutral mediator. The Turkish military action has compounded the intractability of problems at the root of regional turmoil. As Turkey is a close ally of the United States, we implore you to use your good offices to secure a complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraqi Kurdistan.
Turkish air raids and deployment of armored units deep into Iraqi Kurdistan further destabilize an already dangerous situation and heighten risks that other regional powers will intervene. Civilian casualties caused by Turkish raids are steadily mounting, and the humanitarian hardships faced by local inhabitants have been greatly increased. The air raids constitute a blatant violation of the UN sponsored “no-fly zone” intended to protect the Kurds. Furthermore, Turkey’s proposed creation of a “buffer zone” in Iraqi Kurdistan would constitute a flagrant violation of international law and further inflame regional tensions. We urge the United States Government to mediate a secure and lasting peace in the region. The Kurdish people have suffered immensely at the hands of short-sighted, self-motivated leaders, opportunistic foreign powers, and U.S. indifference. As long as the two major Kurdish parties continue to feud, peace and regional stability will remain elusive. A ceasefire, while temporarily halting the violence and bloodshed, is no answer to the complex problems which underlie persistent regional turmoil. The Kurdish people have always looked to the United States for support and assistance in times of need. With so much presently at stake, we believe U.S. leadership and commitment are vital, especially now that the Turkish Government has taken a side in the dispute.
We believe the United States Government should work to promote the following steps:
· A meeting should be convened, chaired by yourself, at which KDP leader Masoud Barzani and PUK leader Jalal Talabani are compelled to work out their differences in a peaceful manner. · The parliament elected in 1992 should be reconvened with the aim of forming a new government headed by an independent personage, with 50 percent of cabinet positions going to independent persons, and the remainder to political party representatives.
· An independent election committee should be formed to prepare elections for a new parliament within six months.
· Military units loyal to political parties should be disbanded and a new force created which is responsible to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
· An independent committee, responsible to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, should be created to collect all revenues and custom duties.
· All barriers to free travel should be removed throughout the region.
· All prisoners held by either side should be released.
Madame Secretary, only when such steps are taken can peace and stability be achieved in Iraqi Kurdistan.”