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Western Europe Weekly Review
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WESTERN EUROPE WEEKLYB CONTENTS
Turkey: New Measures for Dealing With Kurdish-Jnepired Violence in the
Tu-.Iiey; New Measures for Dealing With Kurdish-Inspired Violence in'the Southeaet
The Turkish National Security Council (NSC) onuneeries of measures designed to quell violence in southeastern Turkey. The situation there has apparently deteriorated in recent weeks as Kurdish separatists have stepped up their activities, and iis-putes between rival Kurdish forces have apparently spilled over into Turkey from Iraq.
According to the Turkish press, the measures call for the closing of all separatist societies andand the shutting down of their press organs. tribes identified as engaging in "divisive" activities would be encircledordon of security forces, and persons who have in the past participated in these activities would be banned from the area. To prevent clashes along the border, the NSC recommended the formation of an "air control security cordon" and the positioning of mountain commando units in the area. Turkish security forces would take control of what the separatists consider "liberated zones." Poor people would be relocated to "better" locations underadministration.
The NSC's recommendations follow several weeks of heightened concern on the part of the Turkish Government and military over violence in southeast Turkey. They may be derivedlan reportedly submitted to Prime Minister Ecevit by the General Staff in mid-June. This plan, among other things, called for systematic house-to-house searches by the Turkishilitary "show of force" in the southeast, and the construction of aof roads to aid the movement of Turkish troops.
Turkish efforts to deal with the Kurdish separatist problem date back to. Publicly, thehas often simply ignored the problem. But in June Prime Minister Ecevit, the Minister of the Interior, and
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the military Chief of Staff all made separate visits to the area, and the Turkish press has broken its virtual taboo against discussing Kurdish difficulties.
Most of the blame for the present difficulties is placed by both the ^resB and the government onand foreign intelligenceboth the CIA and the KGB. In speaking of "divisive" elements, however, the NSC made it obvious that the government is aware that Kurdish separatists inside Turkey contribute significantly to the problem.
Ecevit has apparently not yet accepted the Repressive measurer of this sort run counter to the personal beliefs of Ecevit, who desires to portray himselfefender of human rights. He may, however, find it politically easier to adopt repressive policies to discourage violence in the remoteother than ethnic Turks are involved and the trouble can be bi uned at least partially onto takeeasures against urban violence.
In any case, this would not be the first time he has authorized the use of force in Kurdish areas. In late April, during the rioting that followed theof the mayor of Maiatya, he decreed that regular troops could be employed to put down the violence. Turkish troops have several times been used to cordon off areas where particularly severe problems have existed.
The actual implementation of at least some of the recommendations may prove difficult if not impossible. Turkish security forces in the southeast have beenstrengthened in both numbers and equipment during the past year, but the area is large, the terrain is difficult, and the roads are poor. Extendingsecurity control over the entire Kurdish area,recaptured "liberatedight require more troops and money than Ankara lo willing to commit. Ecevit will, however, be under heavy pressure from his security and military forces, as well as from his politi-cal opposition, to take whatever measures are necessary.
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