Erdoðan says to journalists: secret talks times are over
Erdoðan says to journalists: secret talks times are over
On the flight back from New York Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan had answered questions from journalists for over an hour, reported Mehmet Ali Birand on Hurriyet Daily News. Among the topics discussed were talks between the government and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and Syria.
On the first issue, the Prime Minister had this to say, reported Birand: “As far as I am concerned, they [the PKK] are now seeking revenge, as they incurred serious losses in [military] operations ... Our border units will step up in March. They will be more effective, as they will be permanently based there. [Some] 5,000 people have been recruited; they are now undergoing training ... Special operations [units] will also enter [the scene] in cities”.
A stand which seems confirmed by the movements which have involved the military in recent weeks.
According to Birand, he questioned the Prime Minister, who also indicated that Turkeys had come to an agreement with Iran on the issues of intelligence sharing against the PKK and cooperation on [military] operations. Birand put it straight to Erdoðan asking why there is only talk about war. To which the Prime Minister answered: “The negotiations are now on the shelf. This struggle will last until the PKK lays their weapons down”. What the journalist points out though is that what the PM meant by negotiations were the meetings between the state and the PKK. Such meetings will no longer be held, according to what Birand made it off the PM's declaration. Erdoðan did add that "If the BDP enters Parliament, then we would hold political negotiations with them. The rest is up to them. They can share it with whoever they [would like to] share it with.”
On the first issue, the Prime Minister had this to say, reported Birand: “As far as I am concerned, they [the PKK] are now seeking revenge, as they incurred serious losses in [military] operations ... Our border units will step up in March. They will be more effective, as they will be permanently based there. [Some] 5,000 people have been recruited; they are now undergoing training ... Special operations [units] will also enter [the scene] in cities”.
A stand which seems confirmed by the movements which have involved the military in recent weeks.
According to Birand, he questioned the Prime Minister, who also indicated that Turkeys had come to an agreement with Iran on the issues of intelligence sharing against the PKK and cooperation on [military] operations. Birand put it straight to Erdoðan asking why there is only talk about war. To which the Prime Minister answered: “The negotiations are now on the shelf. This struggle will last until the PKK lays their weapons down”. What the journalist points out though is that what the PM meant by negotiations were the meetings between the state and the PKK. Such meetings will no longer be held, according to what Birand made it off the PM's declaration. Erdoðan did add that "If the BDP enters Parliament, then we would hold political negotiations with them. The rest is up to them. They can share it with whoever they [would like to] share it with.”
