An open letter to Abdullah Ocalan Danielle Mitterand France Libertes Foundation Danielle Mitterand September 1, 1998 Dear President Ocalan, As you can imagine, it was with the greatest satisfaction that I learned of your party’s decision to declare a cease-fire. For a long time now, as you are aware, I have been wanting your party to take… Continue reading
Commentary
Ocalan Declares Cease-Fire
London MED TV Television in Turkish 1850 GMT August 28, 1998 “Teleconference” with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan by telephone from an unidentified location, moderated by Gunay Aslan, including Duygu Leloglu from NTV, Tayfun Talipoglu from ATV, Huseyin Aykol from Ulkede Gundem, Ali Haydar Yurtsever and Fikret Aydemir from Milliyet, Mehmet Comert from Ihlas News Agency,… Continue reading
Separation is Such a Grief
By Mehmed Uzun One of the symbols of my childhood, which traces me like a shadow, is my grandmother. Strikingly tall, with strong facial features as would be found in a historical portrait, her dresses standing witness to a forgotten history, eyes as sources of warmth and enthusiasm and a voice as soft as velvet,… Continue reading
Pacifica News Network Interview with Kani Xulam
February 25, 1998 Editor’s note: The following incomplete introduction refers to the televised “town meeting” on Iraq which aired on CNN earlier this month, during which U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen held up a photograph of Kurdish victims of Saddam Hussein’s chemical bombing in Halapja on March 18, 1988. Newscaster: Cohen called the dead… Continue reading
Kani Xulam on Pacifica Radio
“Democracy Now” Pacifica Radio February 10, 1998 With Amy Goodman (AG), Juan Gonzales (JG), and Kani Xulam (KX) AG: We have news over the last few days that Turkey’s military has sent thousands of commandos into northern Iraq. This is being denied by the Turkish government, but witnesses say about 7,000 commandos, backed by armored… Continue reading
The Leyla Zana Case
Saturday, October 25, 1997 Page A18 The Washington Post EFFORTS TO TAKE political advantage of political prisoners are an old story. The current case in Washington involves Leyla Zana, an internationally known advocate of self-determination, or statehood, for Kurds in Turkey. Elected to the Turkish parliament in 1991, she was sentenced three years later to… Continue reading
House of Lords Debates Turkey’s Human Rights Record
July 18, 1997 Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government: What reports they have received about the state of human rights in Turkey; and what action they propose to take. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I was glad to hear the Foreign Secretary spell out the Government’s human rights policy in some detail yesterday, the… Continue reading
Television Nation
Article by Nick Ryan 18 July 1997 Turkey Police raids and punishment beatings can’t stop MED-TV providing Kurdistan with a satellite channel to call its own. They call it the “Little Nation”. Here Assyrians rub shoulders with Turks, Muslims debate with Zoroastrians and guerrillas share pre-show canapZˇs with social democrats. The atmosphere is electric, alive… Continue reading
The Follies of the Kurds
By Kani Xulam June 17, 1997 I looked forward to reading Jonathan C. Randal’s newest book, After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? My Encounters with Kurdistan. I was curious to know how a Washington Post reporter would view my homeland. Would his projections as an outsider collide with mine or would they be similar to what… Continue reading
Jose Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate, Speaks for Leyla Zana’s Freedom
Wednesday, May 28, 1997 Washington, DC Jose Ramos Horta 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate Free Leyla Zana Reception The honor is mine to be here, to try to lend my humble and faint voice to a cause, a people , the Kurdish people, in one of the most critical strategic regions of the world, a… Continue reading