PKK militants ‘must go to own countries’

ARBIL - Anatolia News Agency

Some PKK militants have already returned to their normal lives in northern Iraq in 10 years, says Kurdistan Regional Government’s Daza Yei says. DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINIŞIK

The armed members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) should return to their own countries as there are Syrian and Iraqi citizens apart from Turkish citizens among the organization, according to Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Sven Daza Yei.

Daza Yei said that not all PKK members are Turkish citizens and there are Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi citizens among the outlawed organization, adding that PKK militants should return to their countries. “Not all armed PKK members are Turkish citizens. They include Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds. The problems should be solved in a way that Syrian [PKK militants] could return to Syria, Iraqi [PKK militants] to Iraq and Turkish [PKK militants] to Turkey. I assume that many of them will be able to return to their countries.

Some of the [PKK militants] have already returned to their normal lives here [in northern Iraq] over the past 10 years,” Daza Yei said.

On March 23, the chief of the PKK’s armed wing, Murat Karayılan, declared a cease-fire following a call from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on March 21. Daza Yei said that they are supporting the ongoing peace process in Turkey.