In "Solution to the Kurdish problem" [Op-ed, May 7], Carole A. O’Leary writes "...Turks and Iranians, who have yet to provide full political and cultural rights for their own Kurdish communities, fear that the decade-long Kurdish experiment in democracy and self-rule which has flowered in the Kurdish autonomous enclave in northern Iraq will be institutionalized...in Baghdad."

Kurds have been presidents of Turkey (Turgut Ozal who helped George Herbert Bush in the Gulf War was a Kurd). Kurds have been prime ministers, foreign ministers, and parliamentarians, and CEOs of international corporations. This is denial of political and cultural rights? She must be kidding.

The reason Turkey is apprehensive about Iraqi Kurds can be summed up in one word "terrorism." The Marxist Abdullah Ocalan used his Kurdish ethnicity to wage a terrorist campaign against Turkey to carve out a private fiefdom out of eastern Turkey to rule under pure Marxism that, in his view, the Soviets had betrayed. His utopian quest cost more than 30,000 lives. Ocalan still has adherents in Kurdish circles and the Turks are justified in being cautious.

We would be just as cautious if the Black Panthers of the Angela Davis era had killed 30,000 people in their Marxist revolution of the sixties. They still have their adherents now but, thankfully, racism has little traction in public opinion. When Harry Belafonte calls Colin Powell a house slave because both are black and Powell is serving a white president, he is making a political statement shrouded in racism. It is easy for us to dismiss the foolishness of the aging singer. It is not easy for the Turks who suspect Marxist Kurds may find sanctuary in Iraq.

Sincerely,

Ali F. Sevin
Fort Washington, MD
(The writer is a Past President of ATAA.)

"Armenia is not partner against terrorism, but sponsors terrorism"
Subj:Reconciling Turks and Armenians

Dear Mr. David Philips: I am writing about your article; "Reconciling Turks and Armenians."

Armenia is not a partner of United States or Turkey in fighting terrorism. State of Armenia is a terrorist and a Mafia state. This is a country where terrorist murdered their opponents right in the parliament. Just in recent election, the irregularities, ballot stuffing, intimidation in elections were wide spread. All of these facts are published by independent media, not by the adversaries of Armenia. If you are indeed an expert, you should confront issues not gloss them over. In real life this is called tough-love. Reverse is enabling the negative behavior. Like buying alcohol to an alcoholic.

Armenia is not partner against terrorism, but sponsors terrorism. Armenia aided Kurdish terrorist fighting against Turkey. May I remind you that the Bedford storage facility unit J-2 sits next to a day care center, and elementary school, and a gas station where a cache consisting of 100 lb. of dynamite, blasting caps, 13 firearms and a bag full of ammo belonging to Mourad Topalian was just found a few years ago. Mr Topalian was the president of ANCA. He went to jail. This was not a century ago but just few years ago.

In 1980's Armenians were the murdering innocent Turkish diplomats, other civilians, tourists, whomever might have been caught in their indiscriminate terrorist ire. Are these the people who are partners against terrorism ?

The strong Armenian American community and their lobby is the only reason that Armenia is not on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Otherwise, they could be included in the Axis of evil. Armenia collaborates more against United States than any other former Soviet states.

The Armenian's genocide claims are nothing more than a smokescreen for Armenian claims on Turkish territory. You only damage your own credibility by claiming Armenians as partners against terrorism. Did they all repent? Only reconciliation we can hope for Armenians to reconcile with their own terrorist past. I like Mr. Portakalis's philosophy claiming that we are all fruit. I think Armenia is a bitter and sour fruit. They need to mature and become sweet like the rest of the civilized nations.

Very truly yours,

Tamer Acikalin, MD Louisiana
(The author is a past president of ATAA.)