WKI: RIGHT TIME FOR POSITIVE RESPONSE TO PKK CEASEFIRE BID
Letter Calls on Administration to Push Issue with Turkish, Iraqi Kurdish Leaders
Washington, D.C. – In a letter to Secretary of State Madeline Albright, the President and Executive Director of the Washington Kurdish Institute called on the United States Government to demonstrate a positive approach to the ceasefire announced by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
The letter urges the US administration to work with the Turkish government and military to develop a response which could serve as a first step towards resolving a 14-year-old conflict which has claimed almost 40,000 lives in Turkey and Iraq. The letter points out that the PKK leader has expressly abandoned calls for an independent state, and even refrains from using the term “Kurdistan” in his latest announcement. The letter also asks US officials to work with Iraqi Kurdish leaders in addressing the conflict between the PKK and Turkish military, as it remains a major obstacle to peace and reconciliation in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The letter cites factors which make the cease-fire initiative propitious. “Recent heavy fighting throughout southeastern Turkey has made it clear that the Turkish military, despite claims otherwise, cannot destroy the PKK. A cease-fire can boost the electoral process in Turkey by improving campaign/voting conditions in national elections next April. A response which helps resolve the divisive and costly conflict could bolster secular parties facing a strong Islamist challenge. An end of hostilities would enable much needed economic investment to reach the stricken region and help restore civil liberties denied under the State of Emergency regime.”
The letter calls on US officials to address the cease-fire proposal in upcoming meetings with Iraqi Kurdish leaders. It states, “The cease-fire offer presents an opportunity to constructively address the conflict as it is played out in Iraqi Kurdistan. Fighting between the PKK and the Turkish military and its KDP allies is detrimental to regional conflict resolution efforts and increases hardships faced by local residents.”
The letter concludes, “To promote peace, stability and democracy in Turkey, all stated objectives of the US Government, we implore you to urge the Turkish Government to positively respond to the cease-fire offer, and at the very least, reciprocate, so as to create a climate in which further progress can be made. A positive response could help resolve a conflict which continues to destabilize an important ally and damage its ties to European and other nations. An end to the violence will benefit all of Turkey’s citizens and promote vital US regional interests.”