Subject: TURKEY-KURDS UPDATE (S) [2] By AL PESSIN/ANKARA From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/25/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-176059 TITLE=TURKEY-KURDS UPDATE (S) BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S ARMY CLAIMED ON SATURDAY THAT ITS INCURSION INTO NORTHERN IRAQ HAS DESTROYED ALL THE BASES USED BY SEPARATIST KURDISH GUERRILLAS TO LAUNCH ATTACKS INTO TURKEY. AND IN A SPEECH, THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED THE OPERATION "SUCCESSFUL," BUT DID NOT GIVE ANY INDICATION EXACTLY HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN REPORTS FROM ANKARA. TEXT: IN AN INTERVIEW SATURDAY WITH TURKISH TELEVISION, THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE SIX-DAY-OLD OPERATION, HASAN KUNDACI (HAH' SAHN KOONDAHK' CHEE), CLAIMED 25 BASES WERE DESTROYED AND MANY WEAPONS WERE CONFISCATED. LATER, IN A FIVE-MINUTE SPEECH TO THE NATION, PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER SAID THE OPERATION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE GUERRILLA ORGANIZATION, THE KURDISH WORKERS' PARTY, IS DESTROYED. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS TURKEY DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE OVER ANY IRAQI TERRITORY PERMANENTLY, BUT SHE SAYS THE TROOPS WILL STAY IN NORTHERN IRAQ UNTIL THEIR JOB IS DONE. PRIME MINISTER CILLER ALSO SAYS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING THAT THE AREA DOES NOT ONCE AGAIN BECOME A BASE FOR CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS BY THE KURDISH GUERRILLAS. EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SCOPE AND DURATION OF THE TURKISH INCURSION, AND ALSO ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. PRIME MINISTER CILLER PLEDGED THE TURKISH MILITARY WILL NOT HARM THE CIVILIANS AND WILL END ITS OPERATION, IN HER WORDS, "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/MMK 25-Mar-95 1:28 PM EST (1828 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------