Chomsky says Northern Ireland is model for Kurdish solution

BARRY J WHYTE

Noam Chomsky, the American linguistics professor, believes that the Northern Ireland peace process can offer a model for solving the Kurdish problem.

Chomsky, who is in Istanbul Bilgi University for the 7th annual “Gathering in Istanbul for Freedom of Expression,” said that careful examination of the Irish and Spanish models will provide the key to success. He said that he is in favour of a general amnesty for Kurdish guerillas, which was a key factor in convincing Irish Republicans to join the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement.

He also pointed out that there had been some recent positive developments on the Kurdish issue in Turkey.

Chomsky teaches at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

, October 11, 2010