Turkey: “We will not recognize a constitution that doesn’t recognize the Kurds” says DSC leader

Erbil, June 4 (AKnews) – The leader of a prominent Kurdish party in Turkey has declared that they will not recognize a new constitution for the country if it does not recognize the Kurds.
 
Contest between political parties in Turkey is gaining momentum as the country goes closer to national elections to be held on June 12. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Teyyip Erdogn promised in mid-April to draft a new constitution and make Turkey one of world's 10 strongest economies by 2023.
 
"We'll start working on a new constitution right away, to support democracy and freedom," Reuters quoted Erdogan as saying during a speech at his AKP headquarters in Ankara without giving details.
 
But for the Kurds, identity and autonomy are more important than any pre-election pledges made by the Turkish political leaders.
 
"We will not recognize a constitution which does not recognize the Kurds in the country and does not accept autonomy," the Firat News Agency – close to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - quoted Ahmed Turk, the head of the Democratic Society Congress (DSC) as saying.
 
"The next elections carry vital importance for the Kurds," said Turk. "We consider it as a referendum for the Kurds".
 
After decades of struggle against Turkey for independence, the Kurds are now calling for a model of self-rule similar to that of the Kurds in northern Iraq.
 
Turk accused on Saturday the Turkish authorities of not responding to their demands for peace. "We offered our hand for peace to the policy-makers in the country, but they refused it."
 
"We are struggling for democracy… and we will struggle until we are offered autonomy," Turk stressed.
 
Even the PKK which has engaged in a deadly war with the Turkish state for three decades, leaving some 45,000 dead, mostly Kurds, is now supporting a model of autonomy with greater political and cultural rights.
 
Prime Minister Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been Turkey's dominant political force since 2002.
 
In 2010, Erdogan's AKP introduced for the first time reforms to the Turkish constitution of 1980 which included an overhaul of the Constitutional Court, changes to the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors, and new limitations on the power of military courts.
 
The reforms were approved by the Turkish parliament in May 2010. But the majority of Kurds boycotted the popular referendum on the reforms on the grounds that it did not contain clear reference to the Kurds as the second largest ethnic group in the country alongside the Turks. Also, the reforms did not contain provisions for the Kurdish language to be used in Kurdish schools.
 
By Raber Y. Aziz, contribution by Abdul-Kadir Wandawi (AKnews)

Syria arrests dissenting Kurds | Politics | AKNEWS.com

Syria arrests dissenting Kurds | Politics | AKNEWS.com

Foreign and Transport Ministers to face parliament over Kuwaiti port

Sulaimaniyah, May 24 (AKnews) - The Iraqi parliament is expected to summon Iraq's Foreign Affairs and Transport Ministers to tackle the issue of a planned Kuwaiti port which is feared to cost Iraqi ports 60% of their traffic.

Kuwait announced plans to build the Mubarak port next to Iraq's main Umm Qasr port in the gulf two weeks ago outraging Iraqi lawmakers, in particular, number of Shia politicians who have pledged to take action against the Kuwaiti government.

"It is expected that after the parliamentary recess (which ends late May), Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri will be summoned to parliament to discuss the issue," said Bakir Hama Sadiq, a Kurdish MP in the Iraqi house of representatives.

"If Kuwait plans to build the port on the Bubyan island, then Iraq's water route will be gone and any ship movement in the Umm Qasr and Khaw Zuber ports will not be possible," said Hama Sadiq.

Bubyan island

A joint committee between Kuwait and Iraq was expected to convene and solve the problem jointly, however, "Kuwait insists on building the Mubarak port," Hama Sadiq added.

The MP suggested that Iraq and Kuwait should each make compromises: Kuwait could build the port with Iraq's consent, but the port must not threaten Iraq's marine activity.

"The issue between Kuwait and Iraq over the Mubarak port is partially related to transportation and partially to diplomatic relations, therefore, both Zebari and al-Amiri will clarify the issue in parliament so that we understand what is going on and then see where we stand," said fellow Kurdish deputy, Mahmood Osman.

Iraq has witnessed protests against the construction of the port, particularly in the port city of Basra, 550 km south of Baghdad, calling on the Iraqi government to intervene and stop Kuwait going ahead with their plans.

Iraqi economists have warned that the Iraqi ports could lose 60% of their business as the Kuwaiti port will paralyze their traffic.

At least one Shia political bloc has been highly critical of the Kuwait port plan and has vowed to take action.

Earlier this week, an Iraqi parliamentarian from the Ahrar bloc, loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, warned that his list was ready to act in a way that will "surprise all the political blocs" in Iraq in reaction to the proposed construction of the Kuwaiti port.

The foreign relations committee in the Iraqi Parliament has warned that xenophobic statements targeting Kuwait should be guarded against in order to avoid tensions in bilateral relations with the neighboring state.

Written by Raber Y. Aziz, Idris Abu Bakir contributed to this story

24/05/2011 09:55

 

Sadrists promise "surprise" response to Kuwaiti port issue

Basra, May 21 (AKnews) - An Iraqi parliamentarian from the Ahrar bloc, loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, has warned that his list is ready to act in a way that will "surprise all the political blocs" in Iraq in protest over the construction of a Kuwaiti port that's expected to threaten the trade of Iraq's principal port in Basra.

The dispute over Kuwait's Mubarak port, positioned close to Iraq's main port in Basra, 550 km south of Baghdad, goes back to two weeks ago when Kuwait announced its plans for the hub which Iraqi economists said would cost the Iraqi ports 60% of their traffic.

Kuwait plans outraged Iraqi lawmakers, in particular, Shia politicians leading to a heated debate over whether Kuwait has the right to build the port or if the management of shared waters should be a joint operation.

Awwad Uday, a Sadrist MP from Basra, said his bloc had "taken a path no other bloc had taken towards the Kuwaiti port issue".

"Ahrar bloc, under instructions from its leader Moqtada al-Sadr, is preparing for action towards Kuwait that will surprise all political parties in Iraq regarding the Mubarak port," Uday said.

Uday's statement comes as the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi Parliament warned last week that xenophobic statements targeting Kuwait should be guarded against to avoid tensions in bilateral relations.

"All Iraqi parties and communities, whether political or social, are waiting for the (Sadrist) Current to take action or decisive move that would resolve this issue in favor of Iraq, after the government failed to do so and blessed the construction by Kuwait" The Sadrist Mp said.

Last week, Basra province witnessed protests against the construction of the Mubarak port, calling on the Iraqi government to intervene and stop Kuwait going ahead with their plans.

Relations between Iraq and the Gulf States had already been ruffled by statements issued by Iraqi Shia MPs over the protests in Bahrain where the Shia majority came ot in protest against their Sunni rulers.

Iraq was on track to join the economically powerful Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) but it is believed its bid was rejected due to the stance taken by the political blocs and the demonstrations organized by some Iraqi deputies, most notably in the Shia-dominated cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The Omani minister of foreign affairs told AKnews last week that Iraq's rejected bid to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was due to its "unwise" political approach.

The position of the Shia Iraqi lawmakers sparked criticism at home also. Sunni Arabs said such a stance would adversely affect Iraqi-gulf relations and the reconciliation process between Iraq and Kuwait. Iraq still pays large sums of compensation to Kuwait each year following the Saddam Hussein-led 1991 invasion of the neighboring state.

But the Sadrist MP confirmed that the Sadr Current "pledges to the Iraqi people not to allow any party or state to harm the Iraqi economy...whatever the result"

Written by Raber Y. Aziz, reporting by Nour anl-Tamimi (AKnews)

21/05/2011 11:19

Likely behind the curtains US-Iraqi deal sparks controversy

Baghdad, May 19 (AKnews) – An Independent Iraqi lawmaker's assumption that the Iraqi government is planning to strike a deal with the US in August to keep some 20,000 US troops in Iraq beyond the 2011 deadline has sparked a row between the political blocs.

The Kurds believe that the presence of American forces in Iraq, particularly in the disputed areas, may help to prevent ethnic tensions from developing into a conflict, while a Shia bloc, following the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, remains vehemently opposed the US military remaining.

Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army waged a deadly war against the US forces and the Iraqi army in 2004 following the closure of Mr. Sadr's newspaper and attempts to arrest him.

The Sunni Arabs have also voiced disapproval of the US forces presence beyond 2011 in Iraq. The Sunnis lost their 30-year grip of power in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"There is an ongoing behind the curtains agreement between Baghdad and Washington to extend the stay of 20,000 US troops" says maverick parliament member Sabah al-Sa'idi, "this is no media leak, but agreements between the political blocs to hold on to the seats of power".

Al-Sa'idi says the Iraqi forces can maintain security and that security commanders have been pressed upon by the higher authorities.

He accused the "invading forces" of "looting the wealth of the country".

Meanwhile, the U.S. claim to stick to their plans to pull all troops out of Iraq by the end of the year, the woman in charge of leading the reconstruction of Najaf for the U.S. said today.

Karen Malzahn, director of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, told AKnews: "Until now there are no changes or updates to the withdrawal. Things are moving towards the application of Strategic Framework Agreement terms."

The US currently keeps some 47,000 soldiers in Iraq who are expected to leave the country by the end of Dec. 2011 as agreed upon by Iraq and the US in a 2008 accord.

A member of the Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) in Baghdad, Ashwaq Jaf, said Iraq needs a new deal to keep some of the US forces to maintain security in the disputed areas.

"Those areas need neutral forces to prevent the bloodshed of all the present communities," said Jaf, "and until article 140 of the Iraqi constitution is fully implemented, thus resolving many of the issues".

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution outlines a three-stage process to resolving the disputes over areas contested by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central government in Baghdad.

The process involves a period of normalization – whereby the security environment is stabilized – followed by the restoration of the original demographic balance (which was altered by the former Iraqi regime, often at the expense of indigenous Kurds), and culminating with a referendum, which will enable the local people to decide on the constitutional status of these areas.

The KBC spokesman said earlier today that describing the US forces as "invaders" is "illegal" because they are in Iraq under a US-Iraqi agreement having "freed" Iraq from the former dictator in 2003.

The Sadrists by contrast have expressed strong opposition to the US presence in Iraq.

The Sadr bloc has threatened on several occasions to mobilize the Mahdi Army which was frozen in 2006 by al-Sadr as a precondition to engaging in the political process.

A member of the Ahrar bloc that follows Moqtada al-Sadr, Uday Awwad told AKnews: "Moqtada al-Sadr will take a stance if a new agreement is struck to keep the US forces in Iraq beyond the end of this year".

He did not rule out his bloc withdrawing from the government if the suspected deal is real.

The Sadrist MP said his bloc would organize rallies across many Iraqi provinces to to press on the government and the parties that want to uphold any deal that extends the "invading forces'" stay in Iraq.

The Sunni-backed al-Iraqiya list, however, has voiced concern that Iran might meddle in Iraq if the US forces withdraw. List member, Wahda al-Jumaili, expressed concern that the Iraqi forces might not be ready to take over security responsibilities.

"Iran has aspirations in Iraq and will fill the vacuum that the US forces leave behind," al-Jumaili said.
She also said that there are already parties that "implement its (Iran's) agenda in the (Iraqi) political process".

Iraqi army chief, Babakir Zebari, a Kurd, has several times said that his forces will not be ready to protect Iraq's borders, air space and waters before 2020.

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, said a few days ago that the issue of the US forces remaining in Iraq will be deiced by the political bloc leaders.

Written by Raber Y. Aziz, reporting by Hadi al-Issami

Ka/AKnews

19/05/2011 17:36