For the past two days Turkish news have been dominated by the news about the capture of PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) commander Murat Karayýlan by Iranian authorities. The news has been strongly denied and exposed for what it was - a mere lie - by ANF and all of the Kurdish media. Yet, still last night, some Turkish mainstream media kept saying that "news of Karayýlan capture was surrounded by mystery". Indeed there was no mystery: the news has been crafted specifically to hit at Kurds. Along as a war on the ground, a psychological war is going on.

BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) parliamentary group president, Selahattin Demirtaþ has pointed out that "it is curious to note how news of the arrest by Iranian authorities was spread by both the Iranian state agency and Turkish state television TRT. We need to discuss - said the BDP leader - about why such news are spreaded. This is yet another example of the psychological war engaged by Turkey, with the support of Iran, against the Kurds".

Indeed the news was peculiar in its first reporting and subsequent rapid spreading. Apparently a senior member of the Iranian parliament had said that the "number two in the PKK has been captured by Iranian forces". He later said he did not actually use these words. "I said there is a need to capture the leaders of the PKK".

These kind of news are mere provocation, aimed at stirring up tension and ultimately at justifying whatever violent attack by the Turkish armed forces and judiciary forces on Kurds and Kurdish politicians. Turkey is playing with fire, as Kurdish MP Leyla Zana has said not longer than a year ago. It is a dangerous game. A game of continuous provocation at the time when scores of military operations are carried out, hundreds of Kurdish politicians are on trial, repression is at a very high level, and even lawyers cannot carried out their work as visits with Kurdish leader Ocalan are continously denied.