February 18, 1998

Ankara

Our platform, which adopts the common struggle against international terrorism, is protesting German court’s decision, dated February 11, 1998, with regard to the release of the European chief of the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Faysal Dunlayici, nicknamed Kani Yilmaz and the notion that being a PKK member does not constitute a crime.

We once again remind the international community the decision of the European Court of Human Rights that the PKK is a terrorist organization, that the PKK is shown as a terrorist organization by the US State Department’s annual human rights practices report on Turkey, released on January 30, 1998 and the fact that PKK has been banned in Germany since November 26, 1993.

It is hard to understand the decision of the German court as the PKK is regarded as terrorist by the international community.

Since 1984, the PKK has killed almost five thousand civilians and wounded thousands of others including people of Kurdish origin, children, women, teachers, religious men, medical personnel and officials.

It is a known fact by the international community that the PKK has been involved in drug smuggling, human smuggling, extortion, money laundering, and forgery. The official publication of the PKK, "Serxwebun" indicates that. By disseminating the propaganda of the terrorist organization, MED TV, the pro-PKK television channel supports terrorism.

The decision of the German court is unfortunate in relation with the struggle against international terrorism and it condones terrorism. We do not want to believe that Germany is in deal with the PKK by taking its leader, Abdullah Ocalan’s statements serious. Terrorism is not a local but an international problem. No state or person has the right to make contract with terrorists to avoid terrorism.

We call on every person, who stands against terrorism, to protest the decision of the German court which is in the opinion that being a member of the terrorist organization PKK does not constitute a crime.

Best regards,

Mrs Türkan Aksu
President
on behalf of the
General Headquarters of the

TURKISH MOTHERS ASSOCIATION
and its 60 Branches