The Kurdish rebel group known as the Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan, or KADEK, said it was planning to form a new group that would likely be pan-Kurdish and would pursue Kurdish rights through negotiations. "KADEK is being dissolved in order to make way for a new, more democratic organizational structure that allows for broader participation," the group said in a statement. The group was originally called the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, but changed its name last year and announced a shift in strategy saying it would peacefully campaign for Kurdish rights.
| A present for you, Murat. You're welcome. |
The turmoil in the Kurdish organization comes as the guerrillas face increasing pressure from Turkey and the United States, which both consider the guerrillas as terrorists. The group's main fighting force of some 5,000 is based in the mountains of northern Iraq and is expected to face serious pressure from U.S. and Turkish forces as Washington struggles to bring stability to Iraq. Some 37,000 people, mostly Kurds, died in nearly two decades of fighting between the autonomy-seeking PKK and Turkish troops. The PKK declared a cease-fire after Turkish forces captured the group's leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in 1999. |