PKK rules out unilateral ceasefire with Turkey
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has ruled out a unilateral ceasefire with Turkey, accusing the Turkish government of waging war to gain more votes in the upcoming elections.
“A ceasefire can only be mutual," PKK field commander, Murat Karayilan, said on Thursday in response to a Turkish government demand that the militants lay down their arms and return to their camps in northern Iraq before the resumption of peace talks.
"Our experience teaches us that positive outcomes cannot be achieved through unilateral ceasefires," Karayilan stated, adding, "Even if we stop, AKP (Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party) will not."
There has been renewed conflict between PKK and Turkish security forces since July, when Turkey began launching airstrikes against purported Daesh targets in Syria as well as PKK positions in Iraq after a Daesh bomb attack left 32 people dead in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc on July 20.
A shaky ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK that had stood since 2013 was declared as null and void following the Turkish military campaign.
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
“They will continue war as long as the war conditions are in their benefit. The conditions for a mutual ceasefire don't seem possible before November 1,” the PKK commander said.
The remarks by the commander come as Turkey prepares for snap elections on November 1 and findings of public opinion polls indicate that the AKP will fall short of the votes needed to form a single-party government in the elections.
The ruling party fell shy of securing sufficient votes during the June 7 elections to form a single-party government after 13 years of unrivaled ruling.
On August 21, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced November 1 as the date for the snap votes in the wake of a failure in coalition talks between the AKP and main opposition factions.
On August 18, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu officially admitted failure to form a coalition government after talks with opposition parties did not deliver any practical results.
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