Turkey Rejects Kurdish Ceasefire
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BAGHDAD — Turkey’s foreign minister rejected any ceasefire by Kurdish rebels today as he met with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad to press them to crack down on the guerrillas. Turkish forces massed on the border and tensions rose over a threatened military incursion.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said there are several ways to fight terrorism and Ankara would use them when appropriate as the buildup of troops along Turkey’s border with Iraq continued with military helicopters airlifting commando units into the area overnight.
The stepped up diplomatic activity followed Sunday’s rebel ambush near the Iraqi border that left 12 Turkish soldiers dead, 16 wounded, and eight missing.
“We also don’t wish our historical and friendly ties with Iraq to be ruined because of a terrorist organization,” Mr. Babacan said at a joint news conference after meeting with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari of Iraq. “On the other hand, we are expecting support from international community and our neighbors in struggle against terrorism.”
Mr. Babacan said rebel attacks left 42 people dead alone this month.
But he rejected any offer of a ceasefire by the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is known by its Kurdish acronym PKK and operates from bases in the mountainous border area in northern Iraq.
Ceasefires are “possible between states and regular forces,” Mr. Babacan said. “The problem here is that we’re dealing with a terrorist organization.”
The PKK has called on Turkey not to attack Iraq, claiming that a unilateral rebel ceasefire declared in June was still in place although it did not halt fighting.
“The position of the PKK is that we have agreed to a ceasefire but when we are attacked by the Turkish troops we will hit back,” a rebel spokesman, Abdul-Rahman al-Chadarchi, said today.
He also confirmed that the rebels were holding eight Turkish soldiers captive and promised to treat them with respect, although he said it was “premature” to discuss conditions for their release.
“When they were attacking us, they were our enemies but now they are helpless captives whom we will take care of,” Mr. al-Chadarchi said. “When the Turkish government asks for them, we can talk about conditions.”
