Lack of steps on peace process a ‘provocation,’ Euro PKK head says

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Zübeyir Aydar. Hürriyet Daily News photo

Zübeyir Aydar, a leading outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) figure based in Brussels, has challenged the Turkish government on claims that Kurds are creating provocations in the southeast, describing Ankara's lack of steps in the peace process as a "provocation."

“It is provocation when steps are not taken. They are organizing this. They are the ones who feed different militias,” said Aydar, referring to claims by the government that “whenever a new step is set to be taken, there is a provocation.”

Aydar was elected to parliament in 1991 when the pro-Kurdish, now-defunct People’s Labor Party (HEP) entered the elections. He then moved to Europe in 1995, after a subsequent party was outlawed for collaborating with the PKK. He has been living in Europe ever since.

Speaking in a TV interview, Aybar said they had given the government a cease-fire promise not to clash with Turkish security forces if the process was leading to a resolution. 

“If this movement [PKK] wanted to sabotage this duty [the peace process], we would not do it in a place like Cizre. There are plenty of security posts and the like," he said.

"Whether from inside or from the outside, a neutral observer is needed. If this happens, they could referee and say who is breaking the cease-fire and who is doing what,” he added.

Stating that direct and indirect dialogue with the government had been ongoing since 2006, Aydar warned that "time is running out" in the peace process.