September 3, 1998


The Nobel Peace Prize Committee
Nobelinsintuttet
Drammensvein 19
N-0225 Oslo, Norway

Dear Committee Members:

I would like to recommend your careful consideration of Leyla Zana for the 
1998 Nobel Peace Prize.

As an Academic scholar who tries hard to be objective, I do not take this action 
lightly.  Certainly my four books on the Kurdish problem which have been 
reviewed positively and more than twenty scholarly articles on the Kurdish 
problem in refereed academic journals such as the Middle East Journal, Middle 
East Quarterly, and Orient among numerous others, speak to my academic 
credentials.

For many years Leyla Zana has intelligently and courageously spoken out in 
favor of peace, dignity, and democracy.  In so doing she has done much to bring 
peacefully the cause of Kurdish cultural and political rights to the fore front of 
international attention.  Unfortunately she has been imprisoned since 1994 
because of her actions.

Her incarceration makes her consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize 
controversial.  Indeed some well-intentioned observers will thus shy away from 
considering her.  I myself have felt this way in the past.  There comes a time, 
however, when even cautious institutionalized organizations should take a 
stand on even the most controversial issues.  This clearly is one of those times.

Accordingly it is with great, but careful consideration that I now stand up and 
ask that you once again give Leyla Zana the strongest possible attention in 
your most important deliberations.

Sincerely,




Dr. Michael M. Gunter
Professor