11
October 2001
2. "Turkey backs move to deploy troops", the Turkish parliament has given the government approval to send Turkish troops abroad or allow foreign troops to be stationed in Turkey Turkey, the only predominantly Muslim nation within Nato, already allows US and British aircraft to use its airspace for attacks against Afghanistan.
3. "Turkey feel vulnerable to missile attack", Turkey feels vulnerable to a missile attack amid the U.S.-led offensive in Afghanistan.
4. "What springs to mind?", some remarks on the war against terrorism and the fact that ' a terrorrist is a terrorist' no matter what the excuse.
5. "In spite of everything, PEACE", Kurds made meetings and gatherings in Germany, France, Greece, Sweden, Armenia, Romania, Russia and Ukraine in protest of the October 9 Conspiracy. The demonstrators consisting mainly of Kurdish women expressed their yearning for peace.
1. - Baseler Zeitung - "Kurdish in Turkey: Still more forbidden than allowed":
ISTANBUL / by Jan Keetman / translation by Kurdish Media
Hasan Pulur smiles as ever, as if to say "Oh, well..",
from his photograph above his daily column in the front of the Turkish
newspaper MILLIYET. This time he takes a fairly ironic tone regarding
the recent Constitutional amendments in Turkey. 
There never really was any general prohibition on the Kurdish language,
he writes, but if the Europeans press the point, naturally everyone
should indeed be allowed to speak and write in his mother tongue. "God
knows, this is our fate, and in the near future, Kurdish will probably
be written into our Constitution as a second official language, alongside
Turkish."
As reported earlier, the Turkish parliament last week passed a series of Constitutional amendments, which inter alia partially eliminated the death penalty and provided more linguistic freedom for Kurds.
No more than make-up
Yilmaz Camlibel doesn't share Pulur's expectations in this regard, however. Several years ago he tried to offer Kurdish courses for adults. He consciously did so openly. Thereupon, the classrooms were sealed shut by the police.
"I don't believe that the seals will be taken off now," he says. The Chairman of the small Democracy and Peace Party thinks that the Constitutional amendments for Kurdish will be no more than make-up. "Now she looks young and fresh, but when you look underneath the make-up, it's the same old face." There is still a law on the books that stipulates that the cabinet, in consultation with the military, shall decide which languages can be taught in Turkey.
Thus in 1992, the cabinet, at the suggestion of the military, decided on a list of nine foreign languages that can be taught in Turkey. In practice, however, languages like Greek and Persian, which were not on the list, were taught as well. In the case of Kurdish, however, people tend to remember the list very clearly. Camlibel asks what value there is in allowing Kurdish to be used in the press when one prohibits people from learning the language, and when one forbids people who know it as a spoken language from learning to use it as a literary language as well.
Fadil Ozcelik publishes the bilingual (Turkish and Kurdish) magazine "Dema Nu" (Kurdish for "New Age"). He also sees no new era for Kurdish publications dawning from the changes in the Constitution, since neither the Press Law nor the Radio and Television Law have been changed. Moreover, the Constitutional amendment allowing free use of the native language included the clause that this must not foster separatism, thus keeping a backdoor for restricting Kurdish once again.
Better than nothing
Neither Camlibel nor Ozcelik, however, are of the belief
that the Constitutional amendments have changed nothing at all. "It's
better than nothing", at any rate, says Camlibel, since there were
progressive aspects - even though not in the area pertaining to the
Kurdish language. Freedom of expression and the freedom to organize
in parties were strengthened, and the Constitution for the first time
gives all citizens the right to demonstrate peacefully. 
2. - BBC - "Turkey backs move to deploy troops":
The Turkish parliament has given the government approval
to send Turkish troops abroad or allow foreign troops to be stationed
in Turkey Turkey, the only predominantly Muslim nation within Nato,
already allows US and British aircraft to use its airspace for attacks
against Afghanistan. 
The Turkish Government said it has not been requested to provide troops,
but as a Nato member Turkey might be asked to participate in military
action. Speaking ahead of the vote, Turkish Defence Minister Sabhattin
Cakmakoglu said the government wanted to obtain the broadest possible
support but had no plans to join the campaign. "The decision should
not be taken to mean an immediate dispatch of soldiers. When there is
a demand, we will decide in line with Turkey's multi-faceted interests,"
he said.
The decree was comfortably passed by 319 votes to 101, with two abstentions. Opposition Two smaller pro-Islamic parties opposed the move and criticised the government for acting against Turkey's long-term interests. "It is dangerous for the government to acquire such a permission because even it does not know where this operation is going," warned Abdullah Gul from the moderate pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party.
The main opposition True Path party accused the government of not being decisive enough, but voted in favour of the bill. The decree empowers the Turkish Government to decide how many soldiers to send and where to send them. Under Nato's Article 5, which says an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on all, Turkey could be asked to send troops to Afghanistan. The article was invoked last week by the United States.
Turkey is already closing co-operating with the US' anti-terror
campaign. In addition to allowing allied planes to use its airspace,
Turkey's Incirlik airbase hosts US and British fighter planes, while
the Turkish Government has offered to supply Washington with intelligence
on Afghanistan. But public opinion in Turkey appears to be against any
greater involvement, with polls showing up to 80% of Turks are opposed
to the air strikes on Afghanistan.
3. - Middle East Newsline - "Turkey feel vulnerable to missile attack":
ANKARA
Turkey feels vulnerable to a missile attack amid the U.S.-led offensive
in Afghanistan.
Defense sources said the concern in Ankara is that forces aligned with Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden will strike Turkey with missiles. Bin Laden is said to have as many as 100 agents in northern Iraq near the Turkish border.
"I hope this operation ends without leading to great disasters," Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said. "It is humane behavior for the United States to care about the humanitarian requirements of the Afghan people. I hope this continues."
Turkey has allowed the use of its air space for British and U.S. warplanes heading for Afghanistan. At the same time, U.S. and British jets have increased their patrols of the northern Iraq no-fly zone from the Turkish air base at Incerlik.
The United States has warned Baghdad against moving any troops toward the Turkish border in the Kurdish autonomous zone in northern Iraq. The U.S. message to Iraq, relayed through the United Nations, warned Baghdad against exploiting the current offensive against Afghanistan.
But Turkish sources said Ankara is not taking any chances. They said Turkey's Defense Ministry has presented a plan to bolster the defense of the nation's air space.
The ministry's plan calls for the procurement of 148 low-altitude anti-aircraft batteries. The plans call for a network of batteries to protect against low-flying missiles.
The batteries will be composed of Turkish-produced Harpoon and Reckless systems and will protect the nation's airports and military bases.
Meanwhile, Turkey has hosted a NATO exercise. The exercise,
called "Adventure Exchange 2001," includes 5,500 soldiers
and is meant to train against an attack on Turkey.
4. - Hurriyet - "What springs to mind?":
Some remarks on the war against terrorism and the fact that ' a terrorrist is a terrorist' no matter what the excuse.
Oktay Eksi
"Human mind races along.... When the incidents on September 11 hurt the US, all balances in the world were upset and concepts were reviewed. Certain stances and measures, which were believed to be wrong before, were legalised. In fact, when the US thought it to be fitting, all countries in the world led by our Western friends felt the need to review the policies they had followed until then.
Turkey does not have any complaints over the issue since it is not cited in the list of terrorist states, or feels included among those meant by President Geoge W. Bush's words, 'From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbour or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.' It may seem as a joke, but certain Western countries such as Italy (who has harboured the chief of the PKK terrorist organisation Ocalan), Greece (who has supported both Ocalan and the PKK in the past), France( who has detained and released Dursun Karatas, leaving aside the support it had lent to ASALA), Belgium(who has welcomed Fehriye Erdal with open arms), Germany (who is a haven for the PKK and fundamentalist reactionaries), Greek Cypriot Administration (who gave Ocalan a passport) should be disturbed by this statement.
We are not counting those such as Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea and even Pakistan. Although both Saddam Hussein and Libyan leader Muammar Khaddafi have lost much of their influence, there are rumours that the war may spread to Iraq. Recently independent deputy Cemil Cicek asked, 'Are not our Western friends who opposed us in extraditing Dursun Karatas, Fehriye Erdal or Ocalan, saying that there was death penalty in Turkey, working hard to catch Osama bin Laden and hand him to the US in accordance with George W. Bush's demands?'
Can we refute the fact that all of the Western world is
trying to catch Osama bin Laden and hand him to justice in line with
President Bush's demands? A foreign diplomat recalled that America defined
the measures taken by Israel against terror as 'extra judicial execution'
and asked 'Is there a court order for Laden's capture now?'.
5. - Kurdish Observer - "In spite of everything,
PEACE":
Kurds made meetings and gatherings in Germany, France, Greece, Sweden,
Armenia, Romania, Russia and Ukraine in protest of the October 9 Conspiracy.
The demonstrators consisting mainly of Kurdish women expressed their
yearning for peace.
Kurds were in action in various places of Europe on October 9 which is considered the beginning of the abduction of PKK President Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey. The most crowded demonstrations were in Germany.
HANNOVER
In Hannover Kurdish women made a silent protest against the conspiracy. Gathering in Steintor, a most important center of the town, about 500 women took each other by the hand. Wearing a black bandage on their foreheads, the women did not need to chant slogans…
BREMEN
In Bremen women marched. They handed out leaflets of Free Women's Party (PJA) on the conspiracy. Women carried the posters of Ocalan and signs "We Curse the War", "Peace, Right Now!", "Freedom for Ocalan, Peace for Kurdistan" and "We Love Ocalan".
HEILBONN
In Heilborn hundreds of people took part in the march organized by Medya Anatolian Cultural Center. Kurdistanis marched from Berlinerplatz to Markplatz.
HAMBURG
Kurdistani women living in Hamburg organized an information desk against the conspiracy. The handed out leaflets in German and chanted slogan "No to War, No to Capital Punishment".
FRANCE
In Paris Kurds organized a public gathering. The meeting was held in Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Center and organized by Kurdish Democratic Peoples' Union (YDK). The meeting was taken part by Zubeyir Aydar, member of Kurdish National Congress (KNK). As our news goes to press, YDK and PJA were expected to make a meeting and a sit-in action in Fontaine Desnocentes Square.
GREECE
In capital city Athens, Kurdish youth made demonstration in front of consulates of Italia, Russia, Israel and Turkey. Leaving a denouncing letter and a black garland in front of the consulates, the young people stated that in the disguise of "Fight Terrorism" peoples are made face with war.
SWEDEN
In capital city Stockholm, Kurdish women made a meeting with the officials of the government. A delegation consisting of four women saw Anders Ekman, one of the advisers of Prime Minister Gören Person for an hour. The delegation called on the European Union countries to take the suggestions for solution by PKK into consideration. They also submitter dossiers including the demands of Kurds for a peaceful solution.
ARMENIA
In Erivan, capital city of Armenia, about 200 Kurdistanis participated to a gathering. In the meeting, organized by Armenian Representative of Democratic Kurdish Union speakers talked about the national struggle of the Kurdish people and the conspiracy. Armenian intellectuals and writers also took part in the gatherin.
ROMANIA
In Romania Kurds gathered in Kurdish Cultural Center in Bucharest. The speakers emphasized that all assaults against PKK President Ocalan means an assault to the Kurdish people.
RUSSIA
In capital city Moscow about 500 people took part in a meeting. The action began in front of the European Union Representative Office at 2.00 p.m. The demonstrators carried big posters of Ocalan and a delegation submitter dossier to be delivered to the European Union and European Council.
UKRANIE
In public gatherings in Kiev, Herson, Tambove and Harkove
provinces of Ukranie the conspiracy was appraised.