Ozgur Politica    (Ozgur Politica is a pro PKK punblication in Turkish)
(Translated Text)

Jan 11, 2001

It has surfaced that PUK leader Jalal Talabani, in Turkey for a visit different from those of the past,
wants to revive the Ankara process which inflamed enmity between the Kurds and granted the
opportunity for Turkey to intervene in South Kurdistan [Iraqi Kurdistan]. Making this announcement
himself while in Ankara on Tuesday, Talabani said "Turkey can be of great assistance to us on this
matter," and requested military and monetary assistance. Asserting that his demands had been
met, Talabani continued: "At this moment, I am the most wanted man in Turkey. I was pleased with the
meetings I held with my Turkish brothers." Talabani denied reports that the Turkish army had taken up
positions in South Kurdistan, despite the fact that Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit and top-level PUK
officials had personally confirmed the news after it was reported in Turkish and world media, and said: "I
think this is a lie. It is being asserted by the PKK or circles close to the PKK." Concerning Ecevit's
comment that "We are giving technical assistance to the PUK," Talabani asserted, "He probably means the
assistance of food, clothing, and medication being given to civilians who flee from the PKK and settle in
the region."

Talabani met with ambassadors

The PUK leader had meetings at some embassies on Tuesday in the framework of his two-day visit to
Ankara. Talabani met for about an hour in the morning at the US Ankara embassy and also met with officials
from the Japanese Ankara embassy at the Sheraton Hotel. In the afternoon, Talabani met with Turkish
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Faruk Logoglu and other officials. His schedule for Wednesday included a
meeting with Prime Minister Ecevit. Talabani is also to meet with officials from Turkish General Staff military
intelligence and from the National Intelligence Agency (MIT).

Speaking about his contacts, the PUK leader said that he wanted to discuss cooperation with Turkey. "We
and Ankara want stability in northern Iraq," Talabani said, continuing, "It is normal for us to meet as long
as we have common aims."

Call for the Ankara process

Talabani said that the future of Iraq lie in democracy and asserted that they had no intentions to establish
an independent Kurdish state in the region. He also asserted that the key to assuring peace was in
Turkey's hands. "We could prefer the application of the Ankara process, especially in these days,"
Talabani said, continuing, "Ankara must revive the Ankara process through persuasion. It later slipped
into the Washington process." Talabani also called on Turkey to mediate between the PUK and Kurdistan
Democrat Party (KDP) on the subject of income from border trade.

Talabani said that he had met with KDP leader Massoud Barzani before coming to Ankara, continuing:
"We had a productive visit with Barzani. My friend Barzani approached it very positively. We discussed
the Washington process and our joint efforts with Ankara." Talabani said that they wanted to act in
concert with the KDP in matters of foreign policy, particularly in regards to the Ankara and Washington
processes, and said that he had asked the KDP to share revenues from the Habur border gate with them
and to allow free travel for the PUK in KDP territory.

Meanwhile, an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the meeting signified Ankara's
constant consultation with the two sides in a statement he made to Reuters news agency. The
official said that the situation in northern Iraq would be discussed, as always, during the visit.

Turkey wishes by bringing Talabani up to the former position of Barzani to begin a comprehensive military
campaign in the region against the PKK. Despite the fact that the guerrillas have withdrawn outside of
Turkey's borders, Ankara is continually keeping renewed assaults on the agenda. This is expected to
be made a requirement for KDP leader Barzani, who has been invited to Ankara in the coming days for the
same purpose.

PUK confirms occupation

In contradiction to Jalal Talabani's comments, "I did not see Turkish soldiers in Suleymaniya," other
top-level PUK officials have not been able to deny the presence of the Turkish military in the region.

PUK London representative Latif Rashid, commenting to the El Vatan newspaper, which is published in
Saudi Arabia, asserted that the presence of Turkish military forces in the region had not come about by
their own wishes. Rashid said: "I learned information concerning the presence of the Turkish military in the
region from the press. But this situation absolutely did not come about because of the PUK's request."

PKK is the target

The intentions of Turkey - which appointed an ambassador to Baghdad despite objections from the
US - have begun to become clear. The Mustaqbel newspaper published in Lebanon wrote that Ankara's
basic aim with these action was to mediate between Iraq and the Kurdish organizations in South Kurdistan.

The newspaper said that Ankara had revealed the true intentions it had been nursing by playing the
Kurdish card for the first time in a long time. In this regard, Turkey does not want a federated Kurdish
state in the region. But its basic concern is the presence of the PKK in the region. In its
recommendations to the KDP and PUK, Ankara has suggested cooperation on military, political,
economic, and security matters against the PKK. It was noted that if they accept the offer, Ankara will
mediate between these groups and Iraqi administration.

The newspaper, which based the news on diplomatic sources, also said that Massoud Barzani would travel
to Ankara in the days following Talabani's arrival. The newspaper said that Barzani would remain in Ankara
for four days and that he and Talabani would be brought together and that Ankara would make its
influence in regional policies felt heavily.

What is the Ankara process?

The first meeting of the Ankara process - which aimed at bringing the KDP, PUK, and Turkmen Front
together under the joint chairmanship of Turkey, the US, and Britain - was held in Ankara on October
30-31, 1996. The declared main aim of the meeting was to secure the cease fire between the KDP and
PUK, which had been agreed upon previously but continued to be sensitive, and to begin the process
of political accord between the parties in the region. The final declaration of the meeting touched on the
importance given to the territorial integrity of Iraq and Iraq sovereignty and called attention to Turkey's
concerns over security in the region. One of the results of the meeting was the agreement to
establish a "Peace Monitoring Force," in which the Turkmen figured prominently, to supervise the cease
fire between the PUK and KDP. Three more meetings were subsequently held. Taking advantage of the
agreement, Turkey carried out the "Hammer" operation in 1997.

Turkey's most important objective is to assure itself a lasting presence in the region, using the Turkmen as
an excuse. But, the US initiative left Turkey out of the picture and the Washington Agreement was
signed on September 17, 1998. The significance of the revival of the Ankara process is that it will leave
the door to new interventions open to Turkey.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com