From: trh@jack.sns.com (Al Trh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: 7 October News from Turkish Papers
Date: 9 Oct 1992 00:52:29 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

DEMIREL ON SOUTHEAST

    10/7/92, MILLIYET-- Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel
indicated that they wanted to solve the Southeast problem
[Kurdish insurgency] within democratic ways and said "We are
trying this. Partitioning Turkey is out of the question. The
state will solve this problem. If the indivisibility of the
Turkish republic is in question, we leave the World opinion
aside and we do what ever is necessary".
    At a luncheon at the prime minister's residence for the
managers and the writers of [the Daily] Milliyet , Demirel
stated his views on various topics. The weight of the
conversation was on the Southeast problem. Demirel said that
the Turkish Republic is at its most powerful state in its
history, and that the state will definitely solve this
problem, and that there is no other way, and that no body
should fancy a partition [of Turkey].
    Demirel, emphasizing that the Turkish Republic is in its
most powerful state in every respect, added: "We do not need
anything to combat terrorism. The security forces have
everything." He continued by saying "The Turkish Republic
can not be partitioned. This is not possible, it does not
matter whether we [Demirel administration] are in charge or
somebody else. The state has to resolve this problem. The
question is if we will be able to resolve it within
democracy or not. We are trying to prove that we can resolve
this problem within democratic ways as other countries have
done. We are trying to resolve it without disturbing the
citizens. After a certain point, Turkey will leave the World
[opinion] aside and takes every precaution."

SANDWICH OPERATION

    10/7/92, SABAH--It is said that the annihilation
operation against the PKK [Kurdish Workers Party]
[militants] in northern Iraq by peshmergas loyal to Barzani
and Talabani was planned months ago along with the [Turkish]
Office of the Chief-of-staff in Ankara. According to the
plan  dubbed the "sandwich operation", the PKK bandits
stationed in Northern Iraq will be surrounded by the
peshmergas from the south and the Turkish military from the
north, and be completely annihilated.
    The pehmergas have launched an intensive attack against
PKK on Monday morning, and inflicted heavy losses. Turkey is
not only waiting to start an operation from the air against
PKK driven to the [Turkish] border by the pehmergas but also
[planning an operation] from the land. The [Turkish]
military officials are stating that we [Turkey] have massed
a 125,000-man force to the border for this purpose. Our
[Turkish] war planes are being kept ready for an operation
that will be started in Northern Iraq. It is learned that
the air support required for the operation on Mount Ararat
against PKK is deferred to avoid dividing our [Turkish]
forces.

PKK ENCIRCLED

    10/7/92, HURRIYET--The PKK [militants] encircled by the
peshmergas in northern Iraq is experiencing complete lack of
coordination. While the encircled terrorists are trying to
find escape routes, Syrian and Iranian borders [of Iraq] are
secured by the peshmergas.

    Bloody Battles
    The number of peshmergas participating in the operation
against PKK has reached 20,000. It is stated that at least
62 people have been killed in the battles that intensified
in the past two days and have been very bloody. Also, about
120 PKK [militants] have been arrested by the pehmergas.

    The Border is under Surveillance
    According to the news coming from the region, Turkish
planes and helicopters are constantly making surveillance
flights over the border and the buffer zone [between Turkey
and Iraq]. The Turkish planes are also surveying the Iran-
Iraq border.

    PKK will be Sent away
    The Ankara representative of the Kurdish Front Safeen
Dizai said "we cannot accept the dictatorship of PKK". After
driving out the PKK, it is said that the [civilian] people
will return and the region will opened to agriculture.


    Note: Brackets indicate text added to the translation by
the translator for clarity.