Turkey: Kurdish leader wants return of ‘peace process’

Ankara, earlier, said PKK attacks on Turkey made peace attempts impossible.

Erdoğan uses any opportunity to declare that the Peoples’ Democratic Party is linked to the PKK, which has been recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey.

Last week, the PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union, claimed responsibility for the revenge murders of two police officers in the town of Ceylanpinar and an alleged ISIS militant in the country’s biggest city, Istanbul.

In response, Davutoglu accused the HDP of having “links” with the PKK, accusing them of being the only party to reject calls to be “united against terrorism”. Turkish soldiers have also been attacked and killed.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party has been duped by enemies of the country’s solution process to end conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish population. Demirtas also accused Erdogan of obstructing a plan by the PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to call for his followers to disarm. “It is necessary to use democratic means to make weapons on both sides silent”, Demirtas said.

The Suruc suicide bomber was reported to be affiliated with Islamic State (IS).

More than 1,000 suspected Daesh, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) supporters have been arrested since July 24.

Turkey has since launched air strikes against PKK positions in northern Iraq and ISIL positions in Syria.