Subject: TURKEY/KURDS (L ONLY) by AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA Topic: voa From: Yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) Topic: voa DATE=4/10/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-176864 TITLE=TURKEY/KURDS (L ONLY) BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AT LEAST 12 KURDISH REBELS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SEPARATE CLASHES WITH TURKISH SECURITY FORCES IN THE MAINLY KURDISH SOUTHEAST REGION. AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA. TEXT: TURKISH OFFICIALS SAY 11 REBELS OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY, OR P-K-K, WERE KILLED IN A CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES NEAR THE SOUTHEASTERN TOWN OF SILOPI. IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, ONE P-K-K FIGHTER WAS KILLED IN SIIRT PROVINCE, ALSO IN THE SOUTHEAST. MEANHILE, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER HAS ACCUSED TURKEY'S WESTERN ALLIES OF FAILING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE DESCRIBED AS THE MURDEROUS NATURE OF THE P-K-K. // OPT // SHE MADE THE REMARKS DURING AN ADDRESS TO VISITING JOURNALISM STUDENTS FROM EUROPE. // END OPT // SHE WAS REFERRING TO MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM WESTERN GOVERNMENTS FOR TURKEY TO PULL OUT ITS TROOPS FROM NORTHERN IRAQ. ABOUT 35-THOUSAND TURKISH TROOPS SWEPT INTO THE KURDISH-CONTROLLED ENCLAVE LAST MONTH TO DRIVE OUT P-K-K REBELS IN THE REGION AND TO DESTROY THEIR MOUNTAIN BASES. REPORTS OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES DURING THE TURKISH OFFENSIVE, COMBINED WITH CONCERN THAT TURKISH TROOPS ARE IN NORTHERN IRAQ FOR AN EXTENDED STAY, HAVE PROMPTED INCREASINGLY STRIDENT CALLS FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING IRAQ AND IRAN, FOR TURKEY TO SET A DATE FOR A WITHDRAWAL. TURKEY INSISTS IT WILL PULL OUT ONCE TURKISH TROOPS COMPLETE THEIR MISSION. ON SUNDAY, ANKARA ANNOUNCED THE WITHDRAWAL OF SOME THREE THOUSAND TROOPS FROM NORTHERN IRAQ. TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER HIKMET CETIN DESCRIBED THE MOVE AS A SIGN OF TURKEY'S COMMITMENT TO WITHDRAW FROM THE AREA AS SOON AS IT CAN. THE MAIN OPPOSITION PARTIES HAVE CRITICISED THE MOVE, ACCUSING THE GOVERNMENT OF SUCCUMBING TO WESTERN PRESSURE. FORMER PRIME MINISTER BULENT ECEVIT, WHO LED TURKEY'S INTERVENTION IN CYPRUS IN 1974, SAYS THE GOVERNMENT IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THOUSANDS OF TURKISH MOTHERS WHOSE SONS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE 11-YEAR WAR AGAINST THE P-K-K. HE SAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO KEEP TURKISH TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ UNTIL THEIR JOB IS DONE. HIS REMARKS COME BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF A U-S DELEGATION IN ANKARA LED BY DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT. SO FAR, WASHINGTON HAS STOPPED SHORT OF OPENLY CRITICIZING THE TURKISH INCURSION, SAYING IT UNDERSTANDS TURKEY'S LEGITIMATE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM. BUT THERE ARE GROWING SIGNS THAT WASHINGTON ALSO WANTS AN EXIT DATE FROM IRAQ TO BE ANNOUNCED, PREFERABLY BEFORE MRS. CILLER BEGINS A TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES ON SUNDAY. (SIGNED) NEB/AZ/SKH/BG 10-Apr-95 11:11 AM EDT (1511 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America