"Expel the violent Kurds" call becomes part of an election campaign

By Michael Anders

BONN (AFP): Violence committed by Kurdish demonstrators and moves to expel them from Germany look set to become part of a "law and order" election campaign issue for the country's main parties.

In a television interview from his regular health-cure resort in Austria, broadcast Friday, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl said he was "not prepared to tolerate terror on the streets of Germany from any group", and again urged their expulsion.

While Kohl was stressing that Kurds who took part in violent demonstrations must expect to be sent back to Turkey, opposition Social Democrat (SPD) leader Rudolf Scharping said almost exactly the same in a press interview.

Scharping, who hopes the SPD will oust Kohl and the conservative Christian Union parties later this year, said he backed the expulsion of "any Kurd who acts violently, threatens other people or flouts the law".

Like Kohl, Scharping added the proviso that people expelled should not face the threat of torture or death on their return because of the bloody civil war in the Anatolia region of southeast Turkey.

However the SPD leader criticized the government for wanting a radical expulsion policy for Kurds while still delivering arms to the Turkish government or "turning a blind eye" to the repression of Kurds in Turkey.

Law-and-order and anti-immigration had looked likely themes for the Oct. 16 federal parliament election, and the many Kurds in Germany with their often violent demonstrations have increased that likelihood.

Two waves of firebomb attacks on Turkish interests last year, attributed to the now banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), had already roused government indignation against what it sees as Kurds bringing their war to Germany.

But things took a new turn last month, when thousands of Kurds blocked motorways with barricades of burning tires soaked in petrol (gasoline) and got into violent clashes with the police.

Hundreds of Kurds were arrested and face assault, damage or disturbing the peace charges. Those convicted of a violent offense should now be expelled by the regional authorities responsible for immigration, Kohl says.

If necessary, the law should be tightened in order to speed the procedure, the chancellor said last month. Since then the rightwing regional government of Bavaria has begun proceedings to expel at least eight Kurds.

The issue on Friday opened up a rift in the ruling coalition between the conservative Christian Union parties, led by Kohl, and their small liberal coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP).

In his television interview, a visibly irritated Kohl disavowed Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, who is of the FDP and who had expressed doubts about the legality of the proposed expulsions.

"On this she is by no means in line with government thinking, and in no way at all in line with mine," the chancellor snapped.

Kohl tried to divide his junior coalition partners on the issue when he added that it was "by no means sure" the view Leutheusser had expressed was that of the FDP, which is headed by Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.

Kinkel, whose party has a pro-civic rights image to maintain, defended Leutheusser however, saying that this criticism of her was "untrue and unfair".

The FDP, which will be fighting for its political existence in the October elections, now evidently feels it needs to distance itself from the more traditional and conservative parties of the right.

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