 Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in an interview published here yesterday, suggested a âgeneral amnestyâ by Ankara for Turkeyâs Kurdish PKK rebels to end fighting in southwest Turkey. âIt is possible to bring down the PKK from the mountains if there is a general amnesty in Turkey,â Talabani, himself a Kurd, told English-language daily The New Anatolian. âIt will also be helpful if there is some kind of cooperation between Turkey, the Iraqi government, the PUK and the KDP over the issue,â he said. Talabani was referring to the two main Kurdish factions that share power in Northern Iraq, his own Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Massood Barzaniâs Kurdistan Democratic Party. âIt will be impossible to solve the issue by using force,â Talabani said, adding: âThe Iraqi army is not yet able to do this. If we push the PKK too far, perhaps they will start cooperating with terrorists in Iraq like Al-Qaeda, Ansar al-Islam and (Abu Musab) Zarqawi and will bring more trouble to all of us.â |