Turkish Police targets Kurdish protesters in Istanbul

greece / turkey / cyprus | imperialism / war | non-anarchist press Wednesday January 06, 2010 18:13 by ekurd

ISTANBUL, — Police attacked Kurdish protesters in Istanbul's central Dolapdere neighborhood on Saturday evening, Dogan News Agency reported.

The protesters, demonstrating against the recent roundup of Kurdish public officials, were dispersed by the police with tear gas. Up to 10 people were detained in the aftermath of the clashes and dozens wounded.

Police forces trying to break up the protest were confronted with fireworks and Molotov cocktails by the crowds gathered near Serdar Omer Pasa Avenue.

In December, police arrested more than 80 former members of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP,www.ekurd.net as part of an investigation against the outlawed Turkey Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its offshoots in urban centers.

More than 100 people were charged in the investigation carried out in several provinces by the chief prosecutor's office in Diyarbakir.

A number of protests and riots have taken place since then, especially in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast area (Northern Kurdistan).

The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which overturned a decision to place the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its political wing on the European Union's terror list.

"The Kurdish question cannot be resolved without recognizing the will of the Kurdish people and holding dialogue with its interlocutors, the kurdish problem and the PKK are bounded together, seperating them will not develop a solution" the group said.

The PKK has long called on Ankara to halt military operations and agree to negotiations for a solution, which it says should include official recognition of the country's Kurds in the constitution.

The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds' identity in its constitution and of their language as a native language along with Turkish in the country's Kurdish areas,www.ekurd.net the party also demanded an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and constitution against Kurds, ranting them full political freedoms.

Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish language and private Kurdish language courses with the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish politicians say the measures fall short of their expectations.