text: Turkey hindered by own landmines on Syrian border. ANKARA 1996-12-06 
   Turkey's efforts to prevent Kurdish rebels and smugglers infiltrating from Syria are being badly hindered because the military does not have a map of its own minefields on the border, a commission of parliamentarians said. " It is not known exactly where the mines have been sown because a minefield chart cannot be found, " the commission said in a report on border protection. The report, to be debated in parliament in coming weeks, was seen by Reuters on Friday. " 
   Officials say the minefields present an obstacle to the security forces, " it said. It said Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas sometimes know the layout of mined areas along the border better than the security forces. " Terrorists and smugglers have dug up the mines, defused them and opened up wide paths in some areas. They can come in and out easily as the minefields are not an obstacle, " it said. An armed forces spokesman was not available for comment. Turkey says Syria sponsors the PKK, fighting for Kurdish self-rule in southeast Turkey. Damascus denies aiding the rebels. The PKK also crosses into Turkey from bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. More than 21, 000 people have died in the 12-year-old conflict.
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