Subject: TURKEY/KURDS (S ONLY) [2] By VICTOR BEATTIE/WASHINGTON From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/20/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-175799 TITLE=TURKEY/KURDS (S ONLY) BYLINE=VICTOR BEATTIE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: // RE-ISSUING FROM FILE OF 3/20. CORRECTING GRAPHS AROUND ACTUALITY // INTRO: AMERICAN EXPERTS ON TURKEY SAYS THE LATEST MILITARY OFFENSIVE INTO NORTHER IRAQ -- THE LARGEST IN MODERN TURKISH HISTORY -- WILL NOT SOLVE THE LONG-STANDING AND COMPLEX KURDISH PROBLEM. V-O-A'S VICTOR BEATTIE REPORTS POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES MUST BE DEALT WITH TO DEFUSE THE 11-YEAR QUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT HOMELAND: TEXT: AUTHOR ROBERT KAPLAN SAYS THE TURKISH MILITARY HAS GAINED INCREASING POLITICAL CONTROL IN ANKARA AT THE EXPENSE OF WHAT HE CALLS A WEAK CIVILIAN COALITION GOVERNMENT. WHILE NONE OF THE EXPERTS EXPECTS A LONG OFFENSIVE THEY DO AGREE THE OFFENSIVES IN RECENT YEARS HAVE INVOLVED MORE FORCE. THEY SAY THIS LATEST OFFENSIVE AIMED AT DESTROYING THE GUERRILLA BASES OF THE MARXIST KURDISTAN WORKER'S PARTY, WHICH HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR AN INDEPENDENT HOMELAND FOR 11 YEARS AT A COST OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES, DOES NOT ADDRESS THE POLITICAL ISSUE OF AUTONOMY. GRAHAM FULLER OF THE WELL-KNOWN RESEARCH GROUP IN WASHINGTON D-C, RAND CORPORATIONSAYS KURDS HAVE INTERMARRIED WITH TURKS FOR OVER 600 YEARS AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY TODAY: ///KAPLAN ACTUALITY/// FEDERALISM, GIVING THEM SOME AUTONOMY WILL NOT WORK. THAT IS A RECIPE FOR AN EVEN WEAKER TURKISH STATE. THERE HAS TO BE SOME FORM OF DUAL-NATIONALIST OR EXTREMELY SUBTLE CONSTITUTIONAL FORMULATION FOR THIS. THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST PROBLEMS TO SOLVE BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE SOLVED TERRITORIALLY. ///END ACTUALITY/// MR. FULLER , SAYS GRANTING CERTAIN CULTURAL RIGHTS TO THE KURDISH MINORITY MIGHT EASE THEIR DEMAND FOR SEPARATISM. THE EXPERTS WARN A RESURGENT KURDISH MOVEMENT TOWARD AUTONOMY COULD RESULT IN A NEW FORM OF BALKANS CONFLICT IN THE REGION. (SIGNED). NEB/PT 20-Mar-95 11:32 PM EST (0432 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------