PKK Warns it is Halting Pullout From Turkey
Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:23 amERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Cemil Bayik said on Thursday that he is stopping the withdrawal of his fighters “because Turkey doesn’t want to solve the Kurdish issue.”
PKK leaders, who started a staged withdrawal of their fighters from Turkish territories to their mountain bases in Iraqi Kurdistan in May, accuse Turkey of not reciprocating their goodwill.
“We gave Turkey until September 1, but so far it has not shown any clear action, which means it doesn’t want to solve the issue,” said Bayik, referring to an ultimatum he issued last month for Turkey to start acting.
After years of negotiations between Turkish intelligence officials and the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, both sides reached a peace deal whereby the PKK agreed to withdraw its fighters and Turkey pledged to address the cultural and political rights of more than 15 million Kurds.
However, PKK leaders have since accused Turkey of building new military bases in the Kurdish regions and continuing its aerial reconnaissance of PKK bases. This, they warn, might lead to a renewal of clashes between both sides.
The PKK has waged a three-decade war against Turkey in which an estimated 40,000 people have been killed.
“If Turkey continues to complicate the situation or wages war against us, we will resend our fighters back to Turkey,” said Bayik. “We will defend ourselves.”
Bayik, who was recently elected to lead the PKK at its Qandil Mountain base in Iraqi Kurdistan, is considered one of the most powerful leaders of the group. In his recent warnings, he appears to have the backing of Ocalan, the group’s founder who initiated the peace process.
“If Turkey doesn’t play its part the whole process will reverse,” Bayik also told the BBC’s Turkish-language service last month.
Meanwhile, Turkish officials claim that the PKK has not been honest and that many fighters are still in Turkey who do not intend to withdraw as agreed.
PKK leaders, who started a staged withdrawal of their fighters from Turkish territories to their mountain bases in Iraqi Kurdistan in May, accuse Turkey of not reciprocating their goodwill.
“We gave Turkey until September 1, but so far it has not shown any clear action, which means it doesn’t want to solve the issue,” said Bayik, referring to an ultimatum he issued last month for Turkey to start acting.
After years of negotiations between Turkish intelligence officials and the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, both sides reached a peace deal whereby the PKK agreed to withdraw its fighters and Turkey pledged to address the cultural and political rights of more than 15 million Kurds.
However, PKK leaders have since accused Turkey of building new military bases in the Kurdish regions and continuing its aerial reconnaissance of PKK bases. This, they warn, might lead to a renewal of clashes between both sides.
The PKK has waged a three-decade war against Turkey in which an estimated 40,000 people have been killed.
“If Turkey continues to complicate the situation or wages war against us, we will resend our fighters back to Turkey,” said Bayik. “We will defend ourselves.”
Bayik, who was recently elected to lead the PKK at its Qandil Mountain base in Iraqi Kurdistan, is considered one of the most powerful leaders of the group. In his recent warnings, he appears to have the backing of Ocalan, the group’s founder who initiated the peace process.
“If Turkey doesn’t play its part the whole process will reverse,” Bayik also told the BBC’s Turkish-language service last month.
Meanwhile, Turkish officials claim that the PKK has not been honest and that many fighters are still in Turkey who do not intend to withdraw as agreed.