ISTANBUL (Deutsche Walle) — The leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP has urged peace talks between the government and the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkish armed forces have launched attacks on both “Islamic State” and PKK bases.
Speaking in the southeastern city of Van, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas said the Turkish government must halt its security operations.
Demirtas said on Saturday that Ankara should revive a peace process started with jailed PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan in 2012.
“Today we call to both sides: the PKK must immediately remove its finger from the trigger and declare it will observe the ceasefire,” Demirtas said.
At least five people were killed in clashes between security forces and militants in the Kurdish southeast of the country on Friday.
Turkish armed forces have been bombing both Kurdish bases and targets of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Ankara has also allowed the US-led coalition targeting IS to use its air bases.
