Gov’t rules out ‘negotiation’ with PKK amid ‘war of survival’

“This claim is not reflecting the truth in anyway. The virtual struggle against the terror organization [PKK] is being conducted with a high level of devoutness,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said on April 18.

The remarks by Kurtulmuş, who is also the spokesperson for the government, came at a press conference following a cabinet meeting when he was asked about media reports suggesting that the PKK had sent a message to the government expressing its willingness to return to the negotiating table. 

“If we want to resolve our problems, the place to resolve problems is parliament, the political space and the political course. Turkey would find a resolution within politics by heeding and listening to the opinions of our 78 million citizens but nobody should expect negotiation, in any way, with the terrorist organization again, while a war of survival in such a vigorous way is being put up against terror,” Kurtulmuş.