Subject: TURKEY FIGHTING (S) BY LAURIE KASSMAN/DIYARBAKIR Topic: voa From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) DATE=4/23/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-177420 TITLE=TURKEY FIGHTING (S) BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN DATELINE=DIYARBAKIR CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: MORE CLASHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN TURKEY'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SEPARATIST KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY, THE P-K-K. THE LATEST OPERATIONS WERE REPORTED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PROVINCE OF TUNCELI AND ACROSS THE BORDER IN NORTHERN IRAQ. WE HAVE MORE ON THE MONTH-LONG OFFENSIVE FROM V-O-A CORRESPONDENT LAURIE KASSMAN IN DIYARBAKIR, IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY. TEXT: THE LEVEL OF FIGHTING HAS DROPPED OFF, BUT TURKEY'S ARMY IS CONTINUING TO POUND P-K-K POSITIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ AND IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY. TURKISH NEWSPAPERS REPORT A NEW CLASH DURING THE WEEKEND IN NORTHERN IRAQ, SOME 15 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE TURKISH BORDER. MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE REFUSED TO COMMENT ON IT. THE FIGHTING ALSO CONTINUES IN SEVERAL SEPARATE OPERATIONS IN TURKEY'S MOUNTAINOUS SOUTHEAST PROVINCE OF TUNCELI. CLASHES WERE REPORTED NEAR THE TOWN OF PULUMUR, WHERE P-K-K GUERRILLAS ATTACKED THE MILITARY BASE. TUNCELI'S GOVERNOR SAID 50 P-K-K FIGHTERS WERE KILLED IN A TWO-WEEK ASSAULT AGAINST GUERRILLA POSITIONS IN THE RUGGED MOUNTAINS SOME 170 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL. TURKEY'S LATEST OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE P-K-K, WHICH EXTENDS ACROSS THE BORDER INTO NORTHERN IRAQ, WAS LAUNCHED A MONTH AGO. SOME 20-THOUSAND TURKS STILL REMAIN IN NORTHERN IRAQ, BUT PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER SAYS THEY WILL PULL OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THE CROSS-BORDER OFFENSIVE BROUGHT SHARP CRITICISM FROM EUROPEAN ALLIES, WHO ARGUED IT VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW. (SIGNED) NEB/LK/DW/BG 23-Apr-95 12:18 PM EDT (1618 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America