The Turkish government and Kurdish separatists have agreed to put an end to their 30 year old conflict, according to the Turkish newspaper “Radikal”. However, no official confirmation of any agreement has been announced yet.
The paper claims to have information on a four-stage plan for the cessation of Kurdish separatists’ terrorist action in exchange for increased minority rights. These rights would include constitutional reforms removing obstacles to Kurdish language education in Turkey, introducing an ethnically neutral definition of Turkish citizenship and the strengthening of regional administrations. The plan also involves the release from custody of thousands of people accused of helping the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
The PKK, which was founded by Abdullah Ocalan, began its action in 1984 with a view to fight against Turkey for the establishment of an autonomous Kurdistan, as well as for the adoption of cultural and political rights for the Kurds in Turkey.
Last week, reports indicated that there have talks between Turkish government officials and Ocalan, who has been in prison since his arrest in Kenya by Turkish forces back in 1999 and brought to Turkey.
The opposition CHP party in Ankara expressed support for peace talks, but the leader of the nationalist MHP, Devlet Bahceli, strongly opposed the peace dialogue stating that: “Prime Minister Erdogan has crossed a threshold and dropped the government’s anchor in the bloody port of separatist terror.”
Over the past 30 years, over 40,000 people are estimated to have been killed during the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. Last year, violence escalated and Turkish security forces claim to have killed 1,450 Kurdish fighters in 2012.
via Turkish newspaper reports peace agreement between Turkey and Kurdish separatists | New Europe.
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