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| The Grand Turk |
| PKK may free kidnapped Turkish officials in 10 days |
| 2013-03-03 |
| The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may release Turkish state officials it has been holding within 10 days as part of a renewed effort for peace with Turkey, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish party said Saturday. Gulten Kisanak of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said, "I hope the state officials held by the PKK will reach their families within a week or 10 days." Turkey's spy agency resumed negotiations with jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan late last year with the ultimate goal of ending the violence that has claimed over 40,000 lives. Ocalan is currently serving a life sentence on an island prison off Istanbul where visitors are seldom allowed. The Kurdish insurgent group, labeled a terrorist organisation by Turkey and the West, is expected to declare a ceasefire 21 March, which is the Kurdish new year, and lay down its arms by August. Both sides in the conflict intend to demonstrate their commitment to long-lasting peace, according to media revelations after Ocalan's rare meeting with three Kurdish lawmakers in prison last month. Speaking through three visiting BDP lawmakers, Ocalan said both sides had "prisoners" and that he hoped to see them "reach their families". His remarks were taken in the media as a message to the PKK to release hostages it holds, including Turkish state officials. The Kurdish movement is asking for the release of hundreds, possibly thousands of Kurdish activists and politicians detained on charges of links to the PKK. Ankara insists "terrorists" must withdraw from Turkish territory before the peace process can effectively begin, and has promised not to attack rebels wishing to leave the country. |
| Posted by:ryuge |