Tuesday, April 15, 2008

DTP MAYORS CONVICTED AND TERRORISTS IN DC

"Many Americans, due to the effective propaganda and spin machine of Turkey’s agents in the U.S., and relentless efforts by high-level officials and lobbying groups on Turkish networks’ payroll, do not know much about Turkey; its position and importance in the areas of terrorism, money laundering, illegal arms sales, industrial and military espionage, and the nuclear black-market."
~ Sibel Edmonds.


Turkey has convicted 53 of the 56 DTP mayors for their letter to Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen in defense of RojTV:


ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A Turkish court on Tuesday found 53 Kurdish mayors guilty of praising a criminal group because they asked Denmark to let a television station with alleged links to Kurdish guerrillas continue to operate there.

The mayors described the case against them as a free speech issue, but Turkey views Kurdish rebels as terrorists and believes Europe is not doing enough to curb sources of support among Kurdish expatriates. Most of the mayors are members of the Democratic Society Party, a political group that faces possible closure for alleged links to the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, which seeks autonomy for the large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey. The case against the mayors will be used as evidence in the case against the party, said Muharrem Elbey, a lawyer for the Kurdish mayor of Diyarbakir, the biggest city in southeast Turkey.

The state is divided over whether the possible scrapping of a party with 20 seats in Parliament would strengthen the rule of law or push a new wave of alienated Kurds out of the political mainstream and into guerrilla ranks.

The court in Diyarbakir sentenced the mayors to two months in prison, but later commuted the sentence to fines of 1,835 Turkish liras (US$1400 or ¤900), citing the mayors' good behavior during the trial. Three other mayors were acquitted. The mayors said they would appeal.

The politicians were indicted in 2006 after writing to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to request that the Roj TV station be kept on air in Denmark. Turkey says the station is a propaganda machine for the rebels.

Turkey has been under pressure from the European Union to strengthen the rights of Kurds, a non-Arab people distantly related to the Iranians. They constitute about 20 percent of Turkey's population of at least 70 million.

Rebel commanders often joined the station's broadcasts by satellite telephone from mountain hideouts in northern Iraq, and the station broadcasts images of rebels training or attacking Turkish soldiers. The rebel group, also known by its Kurdish initials PKK, has been listed by the European Union and the United States as a terrorist organization. The mayors have denied supporting the PKK rebels.

"The mayors' letter was an appeal for a Kurdish-language television station to remain on air," said Elbey, who represents Diyarbakir mayor Osman Baydemir. "They never praised the content of the broadcasts." Elbey said that if the appeal fails, he will consider taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. The court's decisions are binding on Turkey.

The prosecutor initially wanted the court try the mayors for aiding and abetting the PKK, but reduced the charge to praising a criminal group. The earlier charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.


What the hell . . . every Kurd might as well join the guerrillas because there is certainly no political avenue open under the Ankara regime.

Meanwhile, that ugly cow who heads the US State Department praises Turkey for its "free speech." The cow also stresses that Turkey must respect the rights of religious groups (i.e. the AKP), but fails to make any comment on Turkey's racist anti-Kurdish policies, including the closure case against DTP.

It appears that there's a huge gathering of terrorists this week in the whorehouse known as Washington DC. The American-Turkish Council (ATC) is holding its annual conference, where the American military is squeezing Turkey for another phony amnesty "to rehabilitate and reintegrate PKK members who did not get directly involved in terrorist activities and who thus do not have blood on their hands":


Stressing the need to improve a comprehensive approach in Turkey's fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a senior US commander has suggested that this approach should also include elements which could help rehabilitate at least some members of the organization.

[ . . . ]

The fight against terrorism is "neither an ethnic nor a religious struggle" but is "solely directed against extremists who use violence," Sattler was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.


Is he talking about the Americans?


Elaborating on what he meant by focusing on "a comprehensive resolution," Sattler said he hasn't suggested a general amnesty, the Anatolia reported. He added, however, that research could be carried out on how to rehabilitate and reintegrate PKK members who did not get directly involved in terrorist activities and who thus do not have blood on their hands. Sattler noted that he understands that outlining and carrying out such research would be very difficult. Turkey and the United States, although not being able to agree on every issue every time, are two allies who can sit around the same table and find a common ground through dialogue, he added.


So who, exactly, would this bogus amnesty benefit?

Perhaps General Sattler would be better employed in finding a way to control the 100,000+ rapists he sent to Iraq than talking about PKK. After all, these were the same people who sent a Lockheed Martin director to "coordinate the PKK" for Turkey, and through that "coordinator", PKK's offer of a political solution and a ceasefire were rejected out of hand, and Turkey was sold $10 billion worth of F-35's.

While we're at it, let's not forget Ralston's close ties to the ATC:


Included in ATC’s management, board of directors, and advisors; in addition to Turkish individuals of ‘interest;’ is a dizzying array of U.S. individuals. The ATC is led by Ret. General Brent Scowcroft, who serves as Chairman of the Board; George Perlman of Lockheed Martin, the Executive Vice President; other board members include: Former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, Ret. General Elmer Pendleton, Ret. General Joseph Ralston, Ret. Col. Preston Hughes, Alan Colegrove of Northrop Grumman, Frank Carlucci of Carlyle Group, Christine Vick of Cohen Group, Representative Robert Wexler, Former Rep. Ed Whitfield…Basically many formers; statesmen, ‘dime a dozen generals,’ and representatives.


Of course, what would an ATC conference be without the presence of Joost Lagendijk:


The reason why Europe did not oppose Turkey's ground operation into northern Iraq was its "expectation of passing on to the civilian part of the solution following the military part," Lagendijk said. However, "the civilian operation hasn't been launched yet," he added.


No, the reason why the EU did not oppose Turkey's land operation was because, after thousands of years, it still hasn't figured out how to grow a pair.

Don't lie, Joost, old boy; the civilian operation was launched on Newroz and you damned well know it.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Despite of all these un-ethical business dealings (WMD) with Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan etc, which caused millions of human suffering, deaths and misery USA still suffering all time low economy and reputation. Because of Bush's policies did not just lose all the trust that they had with outside world but lost trust with their own people in the USA as well.

Joost Lagendijk lost his ways and become defender of Turkish nationalist aspirations after he got married to nationalist Turkish TV station NTV's presenter Nevin Sungur on 28th October 2006. I am glad that his Green Party in Holland will not put him in the list of the candidates that will stand for the EU parliamentarian elections in next term.

Anonymous said...

Thank God for Bush's policies in the Middle East! As a Kurd, I'll go on the record a thousand times to state that I'm so happy he supported the decision to oust Saddam Hussein and not replace him with another Baathist.

I'm in fact disappointed with the rest of the Western states who do not provide more support to the US Coalition Troops in Iraq and to Iraqis.

The USA is suffering from a low reputation because they are disrupting the status quo in the region and from what I remember, the USA never had a great reputation to begin with.

As for Bush: Is he or his policies any really more evil than any other American President?

It was Clinton and that witch-lady, Albright, who armed Turkey more than ever before and who harmed the Kurds more than anyone else (by capturing Ocalan). Details, details, I know...

~Nistiman

Anonymous said...

Also, nice work on the part of Nevin Sungur. I didn't know she married Joost Lagendijk.

Somehow, when Kurdish women marry foreigners, it has a reverse effect ...a la Erdogan's wife who is supposedly Kurdish.

~nistiman

Anonymous said...

No Nistiman, she's an Arab from Sêrt.

Elîshêr

Anonymous said...

"Somehow, when Kurdish women marry foreigners, it has a reverse effect ...a la Erdogan's wife who is supposedly Kurdish."


Being Kurdish does not make a person patriot or care for the Kurdish national strugle. Don't forget Jash Barzani and Arab Taliban are also Kurds but they have millions of Kurdish blood in their hands (Anfal and halabje) and they still don't hesitate to sale Kurdish nation for their selfish small interests.

Mizgîn said...

You're a little late on the Clinton thing, Nistiman. I've already mentioned it here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Still, I may have missed a few.

And I don't see any reason to be grateful to the Americans for cleaning up the puppet that they put into power, armed, and willfully closed their eyes when the puppet used chemical weapons against Kurds, wiped 4,000 Kurdish villages off the map, and committed all the other lovely atrocities that the US heartily supported.

The US is now paying for its long-standing support of its own dictators, and you know it's bad when the US sends another one of its dictators to China to beg for help in Afghanistan.

Bingo, Elisher! You win the ethnic trivia quiz of the day.

And you're right Hamo about the damage inflicted by the Bush administration on the economy. The dollar is heading south at free-fall speed . . . but at least the corporate CEO's are doing well and all the Bear Stearns execs got their big Christmas bonuses. And that's what really counts, isnt' it?

Anonymous said...

I really understand the mindset that dear nistiman has in his regular postings. I understand him because I had the same hopes and wishful thinking when USA declared no-fly zone on Kurdish territories and finally entered in Iraq claiming to free the land from a dictator. Jash Barzani's and Arab Taliban's direct or indirect involvements in Anfal and Halabja genocides against the Kurdish nation can be disclosed by little reading on their life stories during the Iran-Iraq war which reveal strong hints on why and how they backed the genocide (Jash Barzani and Arab Taliban joined their peshmarge with Iran against the Iraq first and then Barzani decided to join Saddam against his own people to commit genocide). If you are still not satisfied then investigating their roles before and after the Iraq invasion would be sufficient enough to accuse them for genocide against their own people (No leader, no regime, no country at anytime in history remain silent even made dealings with the enemy when part of their land being bombed apart by the foreign country). I am sure many people kept silent and hope the best for Kurdish people and assumed Jash Barzani and Arab Taliban would behave in the interest of their own people.

The USA has back-down on everything that they claimed to improve in the region. When they first attack Iraq, like many people who even supported a little and understand the purpose of the invasion thought Turkey, Iran, Syria, Israel would have been on the line to be sorted by the multi-national forces. Let alone supporting the regime-changes in Iran, Turkey, Syria or Israel it is clear that USA knowingly and deliberately supplied and still supplying WMD to Iran, Syria, Turkey and Israel and continue to do what ever they can to keep Iraq unstable and in chaos.

I know there are a lot of conspiracies that going on about USA's ambitions and aims in ME but I doubt all of them. As far as I can see USA know shit about the ME thanks to their top advisors (clowns). If the USA continues with these policies in the ME then I am afraid there will be more and more bloodshed in all sides.

Anonymous said...

Mizgin, I hadn't forgotten your admonishments against Clinton -- I'm not senile just yet :P -- I remember your opinions from past postings and our discussions.

I've made my point. And your willingness to recognize it is just about where you happen to stand ideologically. Bush took out Saddam and now in the heart of racist/xenophobic/ultra-nationalist -driven Middle East stands a country where three major ethnic/religious rivals are sharing power and resources. The Kurds are well represented. It is a revolution in the Middle East. And to be sure, many are rebelling against it.

The role America has played in East Timor, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan is not evil. And you haven't uncovered a "smoking gun" as to their evil intentions. Did oil play a role in Iraq? Sure, it did. Did the "military-industrial complex" play a role in it? Sure, it did. I'm sure many factors played a role in the decision -- maybe Bush even had a dream that his late grandmother told him to conquer the Middle East. But to reduce it simply to oil or to arms is too materialistic and dogmatic. To deny that religious fundamentalism is not a threat to the West is also naive.

As for Hamo understanding where I come from -- I highly doubt that. I never thought that the US was going to implement some sort of "regime change" to Turkey, Iran, Israel (?) and Syria simultaneously and that we would be staring at a new Middle East in a matter of 5 years :)

He is right about one thing though -- being Kurdish does not make a person patriotic. It is quite sad but I think if I can make one other generalization -- the Kurds wouldn't know what is in their self-interest if it hit in them in the face. Our self-righteous assumptions of our perceived self-interest is so misguided it is astounding.

He is not too different than the Kurds who opposed "the Imperialist/colonialist West" after the first world war and preferred to live with their Muslim Turkish brothers rather than be stooges of the West. Or, those Kurds who live in Turkey but vote for Turkish parties because they can't fathom living in a "communist Kurdistan" controlled by the PKK. Or, those Kurds who would rather be Turks than have a state controlled by "tribal warlords" like Barzani and Talabani.

There is a definitely a reason for everything -- including the Kurds' misadventures.


~nistiman

Anonymous said...

"the Kurds wouldn't know what is in their self-interest if it hit in them in the face. Our self-righteous assumptions of our perceived self-interest is so misguided it is astounding."

I greatly agree with you here.

"The role America has played in East Timor, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan is not evil.(...) To deny that religious fundamentalism is not a threat to the West is also naive. "

If you mean that Bush's administration feels threatened by "religious fundamentalism",it is rather... naive.

As Mizgîn said for Saddam:"I don't see any reason to be grateful to the Americans for cleaning up the puppet that they put into power, armed, and willfully closed their eyes when the puppet used chemical weapons against Kurds, wiped 4,000 Kurdish villages off the map, and committed all the other lovely atrocities that the US heartily supported.
The US is now paying for its long-standing support of its own dictators", it's also true for "religious fundamentalism": another
"puppet that they put into power".

Just a few examples: Afghan Mujahidins (including "the Bush family's great friend BenLaden") against evil "communists", Saoudians, Fethullah Gulen,...

Elîshêr

Anonymous said...

Aaaaaahhh

You guys keep missing my point. I KNOW that self-interest lies at the root of foreign policy. But, I am choosing to look at EFFECTS. As a result of American actions - however rooted they may be in their self-interests -- there is a fundamental shift of power in Iraq.

Does it matter what America did before? The point is they didn't have to get rid of Saddam. And they did. And would any other country have gotten rid of him? No way. Would any other American president have done it? Possibly not...Bush did it. Clinton had the chance and he preferred to keep him in power.

The Americans may have created the problem in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Indonesia,etc.. maybe the Soviets also had a role to play and the type of communism they attempted to spread, maybe the Brits and their imperialism/colonialism had a role to play too, maybe, just maybe, it's not so black and white?

So, speaking strictly from Kurdish interests, WHY should I criticize Bush for doing something that benefited the Kurds, continues to benefit the Kurds, and harms our oppressors (although I am of the opinion that more democracy doesn't really 'harm' the national interests of Turkey, Syria and Iran)?


And for you to make the claim that Religious fundamentalism is not a threat to Secular West --- well, Elisher, the debate and the clash between Reason and Revelation is one of the most enduring debates in mankind's history.

It is one of the most profound challenges of political philosophy and from my understanding, this question has not been neatly resolved in favor of Reason and its accepted political corollary, the separation of Church and State.

What makes you so sure that Religious Fundamentalism is Not a threat? From what I have witnessed, although Obama would probably disagree, it is not simply ignorant, starving masses who end up becoming religious...And assuming even that, and that American corporate greed and the myth of democracy will lead to more
ignorant starving masses, then I see more religion in our future, not less...
~nistiman