About 200 to 300 Kurdish-Americans are protesting outside the White House this afternoon as President Bush meets with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The protesters are upset that Turkey has massed 100,000 soldiers on its southern border possibly to invade northern Iraq, which is a Kurdish region of the country. Turkish planes have shelled some Kurdish villages in northern Iraq, according to a letter being circulated by the protesters.
"Stop Turkish aggression in the Iraqi Kurdistan," the protesters chanted, waving flags and signs and marching in circles on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Turkey, however, says a Kurdish terrorist group — the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK — is launching attacks from bases in northern Iraq, and Mr. Erdogan (pronounced ER-doe-wan) is pressing the U.S. for help in rooting out PKK bases.
But the protesters outside the White House said Turkey has its eyes on oil in northern Iraq, particularly in the city of Kirkuk.
"There is no PKK in Kurdistani Iraq. PKK is an excuse," said Goran Rahim, a 25-year-old Iraqi Kurd who lives in Fairfax and manages a CVS store.
Mr. Rahim said he is "against terrorist groups," but a fellow Iraqi Kurd, Jowan Aqrawi from Arlington, said the PKK is not a terrorist group.
"They are freedom fighters," said the 26-year old, who helps run a family limousine service.
Mr. Rahim passed out a letter to Mr. Bush that says "Iraqi Kurdistan serves as a political and economic model" for democracy in the Middle East and calls on the U.S. to protect Kurds from Turkish troops.
"The Kurds of Iraq have been among America's most steadfast allies in the war against terror," the letter says. "We have certainly been more steadfast than the Turkish Republic, which in 2003 refused to allow U.S. and Coalition forces to enter Turkey, either by air or land, to liberate Iraq."
"It is our belief that the United States has a moral obligation to protect Iraqi Kurdistan," the letter states.
— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (5)
The policy of the Presidency, the Government, and the political parties of the Kurdistan Region related to this issue can be summarized as follows:
1. We do not believe in the use of violence as a doctrine and method to achieve political objectives.
2. We do not accept in any way, based on our commitment to the Iraqi constitution, the use of Iraqi territories, including the territories of the Kurdistan Region, as a base to threaten the security of neighboring countries.
3. We call upon the PKK to eliminate violence and armed struggle as a mode of operation. The current problems should be solved through political and diplomatic methods. It is necessary to stop using other methods, which are useless, and we demand that the PKK remain committed to the cease fire and not resort to armed operations.
4. We condemn all terrorist activities from any party because the people of Kurdistan itself are victims of terrorism. We have always struggled for the sake of peace, democracy, development and stability for our people and peoples of the region. We are in fact in a bitter and continued state of struggle against terrorism.
We declare that these principles are the firm policies of the people of Kurdistan, we reiterate that we endeavor to build friendly relations with the people of the region and we share a commitment to good neighborly relations with all.
We have always called for peace and security and we believe that the outstanding problems can be solved only through dialogue and understanding.
Official spokesman of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region
Posted by Mari Gulam | November 5, 2007 4:45 PM
For the Kurds to say that, "It is our belief that the United States has a moral obligation to protect Iraqi Kurdistan," is a bit insulting. We have been doing nothing but protecting the Kurds since the 1990s. We were the first country to institute the "No Fly Zone" to protect the Kurdish people after Saddam Hussein tried to exterminate them. We have been their most powerful ally ever since. We are also greatful for the support they gave us throughout the war in Iraq, but that gratitude should not extend to turning a blind eye whenever the PKK tries to cause trouble in another country, like Turkey. We should be more than willing to maintain our support for the Kurds, but the Kurds must help us in discouraging their own people from causing problems in Turkey. If the attacks on Turkish soil end, then the Turks would have no reason to attack the Kurds and the US will always be there to prevent the Turks from taking advantage of the situation. I believe we will continue to be good friends to the Kurds, but the Kurds must return that friendship by leaving Turkey alone.
Posted by Libertyship46 | November 6, 2007 10:39 AM
I think America knows the truth that Kurds are the most peaceful people of Middle East.
Posted by goran rahim | November 6, 2007 4:52 PM
"I think America knows the truth that Kurds are the most peaceful people of Middle East."
Most peaceful people? Kurds are somewhat peaceful, when it comes to the Kurds in Iraq anyways, but they are hardly "the most peaceful." I would say the Arab citizens of Kuwait are a lot more peaceful than the Kurds in ether Turkey or Iraq. After all, no one is accusing them of harboring terrorists or attacking others under the banner of "freedom fighters."
Posted by Ray | November 7, 2007 10:20 AM
Dear Mr. Ray,
Arab of Kuwait are peaceful because America is supporting them day and night, the bases that America has in Kuwait, If they have the same bases in Iraqi kurdistan then they will know how faithful kurds are. kurds of iraq wants nothing but friendship with Turkey, and when it comes to PKK, i believe PKK is created by Turkey itself to use them as an excuse to get to the oil rich kurdish city of Kirkuk in Iraq.
Posted by raja | November 7, 2007 6:45 PM