Kurds Issue Ultimatum to Turkish Government

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesThe Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has given a September 1st deadline to the Turkish government, to advance the Kurdish-Turk peace process, the AFP has reported.

“A step must be taken. September 1 is the deadline”, Cemil Bayik, the PKK’s new leader, was quoted as saying by pro-Kurdish Firat news agency.

“If no step is taken before 1 September, it will be understood that the aim is not a solution,” he added. Without providing further detail, Mr Bayik said Kurds would then have to defend themselves.

The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and Western nations, had announced a ceasefire with the Turkish government back in March of this year.

The truce involved the PKK agreeing to remove its approximately 2000 fighters from Turkey back to northern Iraq, in return for greater constitutional rights for Turkey’s 15 million Kurds.

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