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BRUSSELS, Aug 18 (AFP) - 19h07 - Belgian
authorities were unable to confirm Thursday
afternoon whether or not Ankara had requested the
arrest of a senior member of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey.
Earlier a senior Turkish diplomat told AFP that
Turkey had asked for the arrest of Zubeyir Aydar,
who is expected to announce a ceasefire by the group
in a press conference in Brussels on Friday.
"Zubeyir Aydar's case is totally unknown. The Office
for Foreigners has no files on this person and has
registered no request for entry" into Belgium from
him, interior ministry spokesman Jo Dero said.
The Office for Foreigners, which is under the
authority of the interior ministry, is responsible
for managing access onto Belgian territory.
The justice ministry was also unable to say whether
it had received a request for Aydar's arrest.
A Kurdish source said that Aydar was already in
Belgium and that "he benefits from political refugee
status in Switzerland since 1994", which allows him
to enter Belgium without a visa.
A senior Turkish diplomat, speaking on condition of
remaining unnamed, told AFP in Ankara that Aydar "is
an outlaw and is the head of a terrorist
organisation. We have asked them (Belgian
authorities) to treat him accordingly".
Aydar is currently the head of KONGRA-GEL, which
claims to be the political wing of the PKK but is
considered as a terrorist group by Ankara and
European Union.
The PKK has said it will consider a new ceasefire if
the Turkish army also stops military operations
against the rebels.
AFP
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