WRITTEN QUESTION No. 71/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Council. Urgent international initiative to address the Kurdish issue
Date: 1998-01-30
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: EU policy, Iraq, Türkiye, civil rights, ethnic group, migration, political rights













EUR-Lex - 91998E0071 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



91998E0071

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 71/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Council. Urgent international initiative to address the Kurdish issue  


Official Journal C 223 , 17/07/1998 P. 0102 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0071/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council (30 January 1998)Subject: Urgent international initiative to address the Kurdish issueCommenting on the mounting problem of the exodus of Kurdish refugees, at least three EU governments (Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom) have issued statements noting that the root cause of the problem is the fact that the civil, political and human rights of the Kurds are not being respected. The acceptance by France of the Italian proposal to launch an urgent international initiative to tackle the Kurdish problem in Turkey and in northern Iraq suggests that a more active presence to defend the rights of the Kurdish people may be in the offing.What direct action does the British Presidency intend to take to promote the demand for an urgent international initiative? Does it intend to send international observers to south-eastern Turkey and northern Iraq and give journalists free access to these regions?Answer (11 May 1998)The reasons for the influx of migrants from and through Turkey are complex. Therefore, further analysis is required. As far as Iraq is concerned, a combination of political and economic factors appear to be involved: the long-standing rivalry between the two main Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, cross-border operations conducted by Turkish forces against the PKK organization, economic insecurity, and the repressive policies of Saddam Hussein. As far as migration from Turkey itself is concerned, the long-running conflict in south-east Turkey between the Turkish security forces and the PKK has resulted in a large scale displacement of rural populations and depression of the regional economy. A growing number of migrants coming from/through Turkey are neither of Turkish nor Iraqi nationality, but from third countries in Asia or Africa.The Council recognises that a key element in tackling the problem is to establish effective cooperation with the Turkish government. Close collaboration with the UNHCR is also essential. The Presidency is pursuing these contacts actively.In this context it has to be noted that the Turkish attitude towards the Kurdish minority will be a determining factor for the future development of EU-Turkish relations.The General Affairs Council on 30 March reviewed the overall implementation of a 46-point action plan approved by the General Affairs Council on 26 January 1998 in order to deal with this problem and concluded that overall implementation was proceeding satisfactorily. The Council does not intend to send observers to south-eastern Turkey or northern Iraq but it does benefit from the information collected during fact-finding visits by representatives of Member States to the region.