References to the Socialist Party of Kurdistan (PSK) were dated and scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to information contained in the United Kingdom (UK) country report on Turkey, as at 2001, the PSK was an illegal party, although according to 2003 information in the UK report, the Democracy and Peace Party (BDP) is the legal wing of the PSK (Apr. 2005). Corroborating and more recent information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Information on PSK activities consists only of reports of January 2004 visits to Iraq (BBC 31 Jan. 2004; ibid. 17 Jan. 2004; FBIS 17 Jan. 2004). At that time, the BBC indicated that the founder and former secretary of the PSK was Kemal Burkay and that the secretary of the PSK at that time was Masoud Tak (BBC 17 Jan. 2004) [also spelt Mesut Tek (KurdishMedia 14 June 2005). Additional and more current information on the senior members of the PSK could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

BBC. 31 January 2004. "Iraqi Kurdish PUK Leader Receives Delegation of Kurds from Turkey." (Dialog)

_____. 17 January 2004. "Iraqi, Turkish Kurdish Parties Reaffirm Ties." (Dialog)

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). 17 January 2004. "Program Summary: Kurdistan Satellite TV News 1130 GMT 17 Jan 04." (Dialog)

KurdishMedia. 14 June 2005. "PSK Leader Congradulates KRG Pres. Barzani." http://www.kurdishmedia.com/news.asp?id=7066 [Accessed 27 June 2005]

United Kingdom (UK), Home Office. April 2005. Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Turkey: Country Report. http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ [Accessed 24 June 2005]

Political Handbook of the World 2000-2002

Political Parties of the World. 2005.

Internet sites, including: Al Bawaba, Amnesty International (AI), Arabic Media Internet Network, Arabicnews.com, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004, Eurasianet.org, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Freedom in the World 2004, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), KurdishMedia, Kurdistan Observer, The Middle East Media Research Institute, Middle East Times, Socialist Party of Kurdistan (in Kurdish), TurkishPress.com.