We paved way the for Oslo talks: BDP deputy

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Sırrı Sakık has his party paved the way for the secret meetings between representatives of the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that were allegedly held in Oslo, Norway between 2009 and 2011.

“We were involved in the Oslo process. We lent our assistance in order to get those meetings started. We paved the way for the Oslo process. We are politicians and we made contact with politicians. We did not get involved in the process after [the parties were in touch], and they determined the methods [used in the meetings]. We don’t know what happened in Oslo afterwards,” Sakık told Hürriyet Daily News yesterday.

In an interview published in daily Hürriyet yesterday, Sakık said he and then-Democratic Society Party (DTP) chair independent deputy Ahmet Türk played a role in the Oslo process between 2006 and 2010. The two became involved in the process in 2006 after receiving “positive signals” from the government, Sakık said; however, he refused to disclose with whom they were touch at that time. “This war harms everyone, as the bloodshed continues. I have lost my wife, my son and other relatives because of this [conflict]. We are ready to do our part for a resolution,” Sakık said. Asked whether there are Oslo-like secret talks taking place at the moment, Sakık guessed that there may be “contact” between the parties.