Subject: TURKEY-KURDS UPDATE (L) By AL PESSIN/ANKARA From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/25/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-176058 TITLE=TURKEY-KURDS UPDATE (L) BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S OFFENSIVE AGAINST KURDISH GUERRILLAS IN NORTHERN IRAQ CONTINUED FOR A SIXTH DAY SATURDAY. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN HAS THE LATEST IN THIS REPORT FROM ANKARA. TEXT: THE TURKISH ARMY CLAIMED ON SATURDAY THAT ITS INCURSION INTO NORTHERN IRAQ HAS DESTROYED ALL THE BASES USED BY SEPARATIST KURDISH GUERRILLAS TO LAUNCH ATTACKS INTO TURKEY. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH TURKISH TELEVISION, THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE SIX-DAY-OLD OPERATION, HASAN KUNDACI (HAH' SAHN KOON DAHK' CHEE), CLAIMED 25 BASES WERE DESTROYED AND MANY WEAPONS WERE CONFISCATED. LATER, IN A FIVE-MINUTE SPEECH TO THE NATION, PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER CALLED THE OPERATION "SUCCESSFUL" AND SAID IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE GUERRILLA ORGANIZATION, THE KURDISH WORKERS' PARTY, IS DESTROYED. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS TURKEY DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE OVER ANY IRAQI TERRITORY PERMANENTLY, BUT SHE SAYS THE TROOPS WILL STAY IN NORTHERN IRAQ UNTIL THEIR JOB IS DONE. PRIME MINISTER CILLER ALSO SAYS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING THAT THE AREA DOES NOT ONCE AGAIN BECOME A BASE FOR CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS BY THE KURDISH GUERRILLAS. EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SCOPE AND DURATION OF THE TURKISH INCURSION, AND ALSO ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. PRIME MINISTER CILLER PLEDGED THE TURKISH MILITARY WILL NOT HARM THE CIVILIANS AND WILL END ITS OPERATION, IN HER WORDS, "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." MEANWHILE, THE UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY IS PREPARING TO MOVE TURKISH KURDISH REFUGEES OUT OF THE PART OF NORTHERN IRAQ WHERE THE TURKISH MILITARY IS OPERATING. SEVERAL HUNDRED REFUGEES HAVE ALREADY FLED TO A CAMP AT ATRUSH, SOUTH OF THE BATTLE ZONE, AND THE UNITED NATIONS IS PLANNING TO MOVE AS MANY AS TWO THOUSAND MORE TO THE CAMP IN A CONVOY ON SUNDAY. THE CAMP ALREADY HOLDS 10-THOUSAND TURKISH KURDS, BUT OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS ENOUGH SPACE FOR THE EXPECTED NEW ARRIVALS. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMPLAINTS THAT TURKISH FORCES IN NORTHERN IRAQ HAVE BEEN DISRUPTING BOTH RELIEF SUPPLIES AND COMMERCIAL SHIPMENTS OF FOOD AND OTHER ITEMS. THE TURKISH RED CRESCENT SOCIETY IS REPORTED TO HAVE DISPATCHED AN OFFICIAL FROM ITS NORTHERN IRAQ HEADQUARTERS TO INVESTIGATE. NORTHERN IRAQ HAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY A COUNCIL OF IRAQI KURDS AND BY UNITED NATIONS FORCES SINCE THE GULF WAR, AND TURKEY SAYS THE AREA HAS BECOME A SAFE HAVEN FOR THE TURKISH KURDISH GUERRILLAS. THE GUERRILLAS OF THE KURDISH WORKERS PARTY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS TO CREATE A KURDISH HOMELAND IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH VIOLENCE FROM BOTH SIDES AND ABOUT 15-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED. BUT TURKISH OFFICIALS, AND TURKISH AND FOREIGN COMMENTATORS, SAY THE MARXIST GUERRILLAS DO NOT REPRESENT THE DESIRES OF THE MAJORITY OF TURKEY'S 12-MILLION KURDS. (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/MMK 25-Mar-95 1:22 PM EST (1822 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------