By Art Y

Nearly four months ago, the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) proclaimed a unilateral cease-fire and called on the Turkish government to negotiate on the issues regarding the Kurdish question. In response, Turkish troops began a mass operation against the PKK in the area called Lice-Genc and Kulp triangle on April 1. The Turkish armed forces have claimed the operation is a victory.

The PKK declared war against the Turkish government's oppression of Kurds on August 15, 1984. Since then Turkish troops have built up their base in south-east Turkey (north Kurdistan) with the objective of wiping out the PKK.

The Turkish government destroyed villages and deported all the inhabitants of around 2500 villages. Most of the people from these villages drifted to big cities. The city of Diyarbakir, which had a population of 300,000, jumped to 2 million in only three years.

Any discussion of solving the problem through political means was blocked, and the issue has been massively distorted by the Turkish media. For example, the killing of 15 peasants in the village of Genc was reported as the killing of PKK guerillas.

Eight journalists of the Kurdish newspaper Ozgur gundem were killed by Turkish armed forces. The Kurdish Democratic Party, which had 19 parliamentarians, was banned and the Kurdish MPs were imprisoned.

Semdin Sakik, a Kurdish Liberation Army commander, commented: "The hand given to shake for peace and the solution of the Kurdish question are refused and approached with hostility. We haven't taken our hand back, yet. They have to understand that they cannot solve the problem through this madness."

According to a report by the Kurdish agency Dem, Turkish troops continue to be dispatched to other areas of Kurdistan, and some villages have been bombed by helicopters. The operations of thousands of Turkish soldiers in the area continue to be confronted by PKK guerilla activity.

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