PARIS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Socialist party called on
Monday for a European-wide conference to help find a solution to the Kurdish problem.

"Europe must at all costs look into the political problem posed by the Kurdish people's
situation," party spokesman Vincent Peillon told a news conference.

"The plight of the Kurds is a result of the current political situation in Iraq, Turkey and Iran,
which does not allow them to live with dignity and in peace on their own territory," he
added.

Peillon's appeal came a week after a boat carrying more than 900 Kurdish refugees ran
aground on a posh French Riviera beach.

French authorities have since placed the refugees in various Red Cross camps throughout the
country while their requests for asylum are examined.

"This Europe-wide conference should of course lead to a joint U.S.-European initiative to
find a lasting solution to the problem," Peillon added.

Millions of Kurds were left scattered across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Georgia and Armenia
when frontiers in the region were redrawn at the end of World War One.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com