PM: PKK withdrawal is major issue for Turkey

[Aslan]

The withdrawal of the members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party from Turkey is a major issue for the country, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, TRT Haber reported on Tuesday.
According to him, it is hard to name any precise date for the withdrawal of PKK members from Turkey.

"PKK militants will return to where they came from. It is impossible to say when exactly this is going to happen. The most important thing for Turkey is the withdrawal of militants from the country," Erdogan said.

Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has previously called on members of the organization to lay down their arms and leave the country.

Turkish authorities in turn promised that all PKK militants that have laid down their weapons will be afforded a safe departure from the country. According to some Turkish media outlets, the withdrawal of the PKK militants from Turkey will begin on May 8.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK over an independent Kurdish state has lasted for over 25 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the European Union.




Kurdish rebels confirm Turkey pullout to begin Wednesday

Kurdish rebel leaders have confirmed that their fighters will begin withdrawing from Turkey into bases in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday, the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency reported.

"Our guerrilla forces will take action for starting the pullout process as of May 8, 2013," the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) command said in a statement carried by Firat on Tuesday.

The first batch of rebels will return to their bases in northern Iraq in a week's time, according to the PKK.

"This process will continue in a planned and organised way."

There are an estimated 2,000 armed PKK militants inside Turkey and up to 5,000 in northern Iraq, which has been used by Kurdish rebels as a springboard for attacks targeting Turkish security forces in the southeast.

Kurdish rebels had announced on April 25 that they would begin withdrawing on May 8 as part of a new peace drive between Ankara and jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.

It followed a landmark ceasefire call in March by Ocalan, who has been involved in months of clandestine peace negotiations with Turkish security services.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the "laying down of weapons" should be the main objective of the rebel retreat.

Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government has faced harsh criticism from opposition parties over the negotiations, accusing Ankara of a lack of transparency.

The PKK, blacklisted as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, launched an armed rebellion for self-rule in the Kurdish-majority southeast in 1984 which has now cost around 45,000 lives.

The rebel command also called on independent rights groups to "take part in the process" by observing the pullouts, saying this could contribute to a safe operation.



Kurd rebels warn Ankara: Any provocation may hamper pullout

ANKARA - Kurdish rebel leaders have confirmed that their fighters will begin withdrawing from Turkey into bases in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday and warned Ankara against "provocations and clashes" which could hamper their retreat.

"Our guerrilla forces will take action for starting the pullout process" on Wednesday, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) command said in a statement carried by the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency on Tuesday.

But the statement claimed: "Constant surveillance flights of the unmanned aerial vehicles are delaying the withdrawal process."

The group also alleged that Ankara was building up its military forces at the border with plans for "provocations and clashes".

The Turkish military has not announced any such steps.

A first batch of Kurdish rebels will return to their bases in northern Iraq in a week, according to the PKK, which said: "This process will continue in a planned and organised way."

There are an estimated 2,000 armed PKK militants inside Turkey and up to 5,000 in northern Iraq, which Kurdish rebels have used as a springboard for attacks targeting Turkish security forces in the southeast.

Kurdish rebels announced on April 25 that they would begin withdrawing on May 8 as part of a new peace drive between Ankara and jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.

It followed a landmark ceasefire call in March by Ocalan, who has been involved in months of clandestine peace negotiations with Turkish security services.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested Tuesday that the rebels' main priority should be to lay down their weapons.

Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government has faced harsh criticism from opposition parties over the negotiations, accusing Ankara of a lack of transparency.

The PKK, blacklisted as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, launched an armed rebellion for self-rule in the Kurdish-majority southeast in 1984 which has since claimed around 45,000 lives.

The rebel command also called on independent rights groups to "take part in the process" by observing the pullouts, saying they could contribute to a safe operation.