Turkish PM dismisses prospect of any dialogue with PKK

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled out any restart in negotiations with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), vowing instead to continue military operations until the group disarms.

“Government negotiation with the separatist terror organization [PKK] is out of the question. Only fighting against the separatist terror organization is in question. This fighting will continue until the moment the [PKK] lays down its arms," Erdoğan said today during a ceremony to open a new airport in the eastern province of Iğdır.

“We are resolutely continuing our work,” he said. “We will negotiate with representatives under Parliament's roof, but nobody would expect us to do so with members of the terrorist organization.”

The prime minister also said he hoped to solve the problem of terrorism together soon, according to reports.

"We have been working to solve problems that stem from terrorism for nine and a half years. I believe that we have overcome most of the obstacles. All the games based on guns, death, pain, pressure and threats have been [eradicated]," he said. 

Acting with Erdoğan’s knowledge, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) held talks with PKK representatives abroad between 2009 and 2011 in a series of meetings publicly known as the “Oslo talks.” The talks collapsed after a PKK attack killed 13 soldiers in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in July 2011.