Turkey

Erdogan slams Turkey soldiers abduction

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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the kidnapping of four soldiers in southeast Turkey, saying the move aims to derail the ongoing peace process between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

According to Turkish media, members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) kidnapped four Turkish soldiers in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir on December 6.

The reason behind the abduction is still unknown, but tensions have been high in the region after two protesters were killed on December 6 during confrontation with police in the town of Yuksekova in Hakkari Province. Turkish security forces have launched an operation to rescue the soldiers.

“These are actions perpetrated by those who want to hurt the process. The same way the Hakkari incidents also were steps undertaken and actions made by those wanted to damage the process. This is a similar event,” Turkish Dogan News Agency quoted Erdogan as saying on Sunday.

“However, we will continue this process under any circumstances, without falling into this trap. [We call] for the immediate release of our soldiers. There is nothing further to say,” Erdogan stated.

Ankara started peace negotiations with the PKK in October 2012.

In March 2013, the jailed PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, declared a historic ceasefire after months of negotiations with the Turkish government.

In return, the PKK demanded amendments to the penal code and electoral laws as well as the right to education in the Kurdish language and a degree of regional autonomy.

However, in September the PKK announced they were planning to suspend the ceasefire, accusing Ankara of failing to deliver the promised reforms.

On October 14, Ocalan called on Ankara to engage in serious talks to end nearly three decades of conflict.

Turkey’s parliament also extended in October by a year a mandate authorizing the government to order military strikes against the PKK in Iraq. The motion allows Ankara to launch cross-border operations against the group members settled in northern Iraq.

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