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Iraqi Kurdistan president urges PKK to
honor ceasefire with Turkey
23.10.2007 |
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October
23, 2007
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',--
President of Iraq's Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani
on Monday called on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
to commit to the ceasefire it announced this
afternoon with Turkey to avoid turning the region
into "a battle field."
"This came after a phone call between Barzani and
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during
which the two voiced dismay over the deteriorating
situation in the region," Barzani's office said.
Kurdistan Coalition (KC) Member Mahmoud Othman had
said earlier that the PKK announced it will cease
its military activities starting Monday evening in
compliance with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's call to renounce violence and adopt a
peaceful approach to the crisis.
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Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
"Barzani urged the PKK to honor their decision and
not to complicate the situation," the statement also
said.
"The president called on the PKK to avoid turning
the region into a "battle field," voicing readiness
to take any step to solve the crisis peacefully," it
noted.
The Kurdistan satellite channel of the Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) led by President Massoud
Barzani aired breaking news on a phone call between
Rice and Barzani.
"The two discussed the current situation and the
Turkish threats to invade northern Iraq, during
which they expressed deep concern," the channel
reported.
"They urged all sides involved to resort to dialogue
and diplomatic ways to tackle the issue," it added.
This came with intensified political efforts by the
U.S. and Iraqi governments to avoid possible Turkish
invasion to Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' to
track down elements of the PKK.
Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels offered Turkey a
conditional ceasefire on Monday dependant on the the
Turkish military ending attacks against the fighters
and abandoning plans for an incursion into Iraq's
Kurdistan region.
On Sunday, the Turkish army said 12 soldiers were
killed and 15 others were wounded during clashes
with Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) fighters.
VOI
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