60 year anniversary of V-E day.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
But it is one of the few functioning democracies in the Islamic world.

I wouldn't call it a functioning democracy. The military has too much power and can decide to remove governments or outlaw parties if it so choses. It's in their Constitution. This is one of the reasons its such an important ally.

Lancer, the Kurdish situation is more important from a human rights issue than Cyrpus. Cyprus is dividaded, but at least the Greek Cypriots have their own country. The Kurds not only don't have their own country, but they aren't allowed to speak their own language.

BTW, given that Kurdistan is all of Northern Iraq, how do you expect Turkey to have control in Iraq. Most states like to be contiguous.

[Frozzy]

Here's what Pyongyang has to say on the matter:

Pyongyang, May 8 (KCNA) -- The heroic feats of the former Soviet people displayed in the war of justice against Hitler Fascist Germany during the Great Patriotic War will remain long in the memory of the world peace-loving people as well as the Russian people with the passage of time, says Minju Joson Sunday in a signed article. The Soviet army and people beat back the Fascist German armed invasion and achieved a great victory in the Soviet-German war 60 years ago, the article says, and goes on:
A large number of fine sons and daughters of the Soviet people voluntarily took arms with boundless love for the fatherland and laid down their precious lives to defending the Soviet State, the cradle of their living.
The large forces of the Hitler fascist army were annihilated by the mass heroism and matchless sacrificing spirit of the Soviet army and people who had turned out in wiping out the enemies with their ardent love for their fatherland. The war turned in favour of the Soviet people.
The Hitler fascists sustained great human and material losses from the powerful strike of the Soviet army in the battle for defending Moscow, Stalingrad battle, Kursk fierce battle and Smolensk battle.
The Soviet army went over a counterattack, retook the Soviet territory from the aggressors, liberated the east European countries including Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary from the yoke of fascist Germany and eventually occupied Berlin, bulwark of Hitler fascist gangsters and thus achieved a great victory in the war.
The Soviet army and people played a decisive role in winning victory in the war against Germany in Europe.
The Soviet-German war fully demonstrated the superiority and vitality of the Soviet system, liberated many east European countries from the fascist shackles and established the people's democratic system to provide favorable conditions for creating a new life.
The Russian people are now orienting toward the building of a just and multipolarized new world against aggression and war on a world-wide scale under the leadership of President Putin.
Russia is channeling great efforts into strengthening defence power to militarily guarantee powerful state building, security of the country and national interests.
Russia is directing due concern to the work of arming the rising generation and soldiers with military patriotism and educating them so as to carry forward the spirit of the veterans who shed their blood in fighting for world peace and security and in defence of the sovereignty and dignity of the fatherland 60 years ago. At the same time, it is taking various measures for increasing investment in the field of national defence and treating the veterans and soldiers preferentially in society.
The DPRK-Russia friendship is favorably developing day by day in the spirit discussed at the meetings and talks between the supreme leaders of the two countries during leader Kim Jong Il's official visit to the Russian Federation and visit to the Far Eastern region of Russia in the new century.
The Korean people sincerely wish the Russian people a greater success in their work for building a powerful state on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the victory in the war.

[Lancer]

"BTW, given that Kurdistan is all of Northern Iraq, how do you expect Turkey to have control in Iraq. Most states like to be contiguous."

Che, I don't think it is all the north. Think it's the north east corner...

[dannubis]

pssst, kurdistan lies also in turkey ...

[Lancer]

pssst...no **** Sherlock. Iran too.

[Ecthy]

Lance: Iran lies in Turkey? that'd be news to me

[Dauphin]

Poland doesn't lie in Germany either.