And, we go from a message from Dennis Kucinich to a more serious message regarding he PKK terrorist group. At the moment, I personally hope Turkey does not decide to go into northern Iraq, but the circumstances on the ground are dire. Unlike, our country (well, at least before Bush's invasion), Turkey does face a direct threat from terrorists in Iraq. I have on occasion differed with ATAA, but I fully understand where they are coming from here, and I hope all of us in the Turkish-American community can properly inform other Americans about the problems with the PKK and their consistent, heinous actions.
Attached Message
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ATAA <assembly@ataa.org> |
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| Subject: |
Educate your Congressman and the Media with PKK Facts |
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Grassroots Information Service | |
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Dear Turkish American Community Members and Friends,
Over the recent weeks, with great sadness and concern, we have learned of the increased terrorist attack by the PKK, killing Turkish civilians and soldiers. It is critical at this time that we take the opportunity to educate members of Congress, the media and the general American public at large about the truth behind the PKK terrorist organization, about Turkish citizens of Kurdish descent living in Turkey, as well as Turkey's stance toward the Iraqi Kurdish population.
The Turkish Coalition of America has facilitated the process of disseminating these facts by making available a pre-written letter that can be faxed to your representatives by clicking here or by going directly to your Representative and Senators' websites and using the webforms to write your original letter.
Also, below is a list of talking points for you to easily draft letters to the Editor and even op-eds or commentary for local newspapers. When sending a letter to the editor, make sure to give reference to the article to which you are responding (by giving title, writer and publication date), your full name and address, as well as a daytime phone number for the publication to contact you if they decide to publish your letter. Your letter stands a better chance of being published if it is short and concise. Several readers can respond to different angles of the article and the chances of publication of one or two increases dramatically with the number of letters received on one side of the issue. A very pro-active stance would be for small groups of Turkish Americans and friends to ask for meetings with editorial boards (particularly for local newspapers) and/or to do follow-up with local reporters who are covering the region or the issues. A quick search on your newspapers website will easily reveal this information. Finally, do not write off reporters whose reporting/views you found disagreeable. In many instances, the cause is ignorance rather than ill-intent.
We would be happy to be a resource to you in these efforts and please do not hesitate to contact us with questions and feedback.
TALKING POINTS ON PKK TERRORISM
The PKK is an armed terrorist organization, listed as such by the U.S. Government and the European Union. It employs force and the threat of force against civilian and military targets to achieve its political goals. The PKK seeks to create an independent, communist, ethnically pure Kurdish state in an area that it calls Kurdistan. Calling PKK terrorists rebels or guerrillas undermines international efforts to fight terrorism in all its forms and shapes.
PKK's ambition is Kurdish secession from the Republic of Turkey by force and the threat of force against civilians and military personnel.
The PKK attacks civilian and military targets alike. Since it started its campaign of violence, the PKK has killed thousands of Turkish citizens, especially targeting elementary school teachers, doctors, technicians, engineers of infrastructure projects, Kurdish village guards and police. Today, the PKK has roughly 5,000 members under arms, many of them very young adults. It recently started to use suicide bombers, mainly women, and also remotely detonated roadside bombs, as well landmines, techniques learned and developed in Iraq. Even though they are portrayed in the western media as Kurdish freedom fighters, the PKK has in fact killed thousands of their ethnic brethren who do not support it.
The PKK is also a criminal enterprise, as it is funded by extortion, drug trafficking (particularly heroin) and the smuggling of illegal immigrants into Europe and the smuggling of petroleum products out of Iraq into Turkey.
Turkey's ethnic Kurds are first class citizens. Turks of Kurdish ethnicity are well represented in government and in business and industry. They have been Presidents, Prime Ministers, and countless members of parliament of Kurdish ethnic origin. The vast majority of Turkish Kurds are well integrated into society and have the same rights and liberties as all other citizens. Restrictions that existed on cultural expressions of ethnic identities have long been lifted. Kurds in Turkey preserve their ethnic identity, language and local cultures. Turkey has taken laudable steps to open space for Kurdish culture in recent years: radio and television broadcasts in Kurdish have been authorized; the Turkish Public Television broadcasts in Kurdish; private instruction in Kurdish is permitted.
The southeast of Turkey, where a large number of Kurdish Turks live, has received the greatest per capita public investment, totaling well over 150 billion dollars through the course of the past three decades. In the past few years only, investments to the southeast of Turkey have surpassed 20 billion dollars in contrast to the fact that the region generates a miniscule contribution to the overall GNP of Turkey. In addition to public investment, Turkish civil society organizations, particularly charitable organizations that support education and healthcare, have poured millions of dollars in donations into projects specifically designed for the needs of this region.
Turkey has constantly extended a hand offriendship and help to Iraqi Kurds. Turkey gave safe haven to over 500 thousand Iraqi Kurds who fled Saddam's wrath and were take care of by Turkey for several years. Today, Turkey is a major electricity supplier to northern Iraq, is its main supply route and has helped in the rebuilding of this part of Iraq. Friendly relations with Turkey are to the benefit of the Kurdish Iraqis. But Kurdish leaders are squandering this opportunity by harboring the PKK.
Under international law, Turkey enjoys a right to pursue the PKK into northern Iraq to protect its citizens and sovereignty, a right indistinguishable from the United States claim of authority to invade any country that harbors terrorists.
In sum, Kurds enjoy equal opportunity to pursue their political and economic ambitions in Turkey. Their achievements in those realms are impressive. The PKK is a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that has rejected Turkey's democracy for violence and terror to pursue the illegal aim of secession. Turkey's right to enter northern Iraq in pursuit of its PKK terrorist enemy is beyond question and fully in accord with international law and practice.
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| About ATAA |
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The objective of the Assembly is to coordinate the activities of member Turkish American associations and individual members of the Assembly for the purpose of presenting a more balanced view of Turkey and of the Turkish people, and emphasizing the importance of enhanced understanding between Turkey and the United States.
ATAA is a fast-growing umbrella organization of Turkish American associations throughout the United States, Canada and Turkey, dedicated to pursuing the interests of Turkish Americans and friends of Turkey in Washington and beyond.
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| Membership |
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By becoming a member you will be part of a network of Turkish-Americans and friends of Turkey who care about the historic relationship between the two peoples and who are aware of the crucial role each one of us plays in strengthening the relationship and promoting an accurate and fair picture of Turkey and Turks.
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Assembly of Turkish American Associations | 1526 18th St. NW | Washington | DC | 20036 |
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