GERMANY/KURDS (S ONLY) BY DAGMAR BREITENBACH/BONN

From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)

DATE=8/1/95

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-182883

TITLE= GERMANY/KURDS (S ONLY)

BYLINE= DAGMAR BREITENBACH

DATELINE= BONN

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: KURDS ALL OVER EUROPE ARE STAGING HUNGER STRIKES TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT'S TREATMENT OF ITS KURDISH MINORITY. AS V-O-A'S DAGMAR BREITENBACH REPORTS FROM BONN, THOUSANDS OF KURDS GATHERED TUESDAY IN BERLIN TO MOURN A KURDISH WOMAN WHO DIED THERE LAST WEEK DURING HER HUNGER STRIKE.

TEXT: FLANKED BY POLICE, SEVERAL THOUSAND KURDS FROM ACROSS GERMANY FOLLOWED THE COFFIN OF 41-YEAR-OLD GUELNAZ BAGHISTANI, WHO DIED IN BERLIN LAST WEEK -- EIGHT-DAYS AFTER SHE HAD BEGUN THE HUNGER STRIKE.

OBSERVERS SAY THE MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN HAS BECOME A MARTYR FOR THE KURDS' PROTEST AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT IN ANKARA. MRS. BAGHISTANI WAS ONE OF MANY KURDS IN BERLIN REPORTED TO BE ON HUNGER STRIKES IN A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY WITH IMPRISONED MEMBERS OF THE BANNED KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY WHO HAVE BEEN ON HUNGER STRIKES SINCE MID-JULY.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE 1984 IN THE KURDS' FIGHT FOR AN INDEPENDENT HOMELAND IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY. THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY HAS ALSO TAKEN ITS FIGHT FOR AUTONOMY TO GERMANY, WHICH HAS A LARGE TURKISH POPULATION.

IN RELATED INCIDENTS, TURKISH HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN GERMANY HAVE FOR DAYS BEEN THE TARGET OF FIREBOMBINGS. NO ONE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY, BUT POLICE SUSPECT MILITANT KURDS ARE BEHIND THE ARSON ATTACKS. (SIGNED)

NEB/DB/MH/RAE

01-Aug-95 8:32 AM EDT (1232 UTC)

NNNN

Source: Voice of America