Rights for Kurds

Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay announced on Friday the government's reforms, which, in addition to loosening restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language, will establish an independent commission to investigate human rights violations.

"An independent anti-discrimination commission will be established and a bill related to this will be sent to parliament," Atalay told parliament.

The reform is meant to boost Turkey's chances of joining the European Union and encourage the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) guerrilla group to disband. The PKK is seeking self-rule for the Kurds in southeastern Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by Ankara as well as by the EU and the United States. It has been engaged in a conflict with the Turkish government since 1984 that has left more than 40,000 people dead.

The initiative, which will allow for Kurdish-majority towns to again use their Kurdish names andfor politicians to campaign in the Kurdish language, builds on earlier efforts by the ruling AK Party (AKP) to expand Kurdish cultural rights. Headed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, AKP has allowed for the launch of a state-run Kurdish language television channel.

On Friday the new plan was not well received by the main opposition party in parliament. The leader of the CHP, Deniz Baykal, said the government's reforms were a "plan to destroy and split Turkey."

Erdogan responded that "there are some people who want martyrs (dead Turkish soldiers) so they can exploit it better." This comment prompted Baykal and other CHP members to walk out of the session.

hf/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Susan Houlton