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Kurdish PKK rebels warns of escalation of violence across Turkey | Kurdish PKK rebels warns of escalation of violence across Turkey |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Kurdish rebels have warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan they will "escalate the war" in Turkey until their rights are accepted. | |
The leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Cemil Bayik, said the group is willing to negotiate but not surrender in the wake of growing violence between the two sides. | |
Mr Bayik said: "The Kurds will defend themselves to the end, so long as this is the Turkish approach – of course the PKK will escalate the war. | Mr Bayik said: "The Kurds will defend themselves to the end, so long as this is the Turkish approach – of course the PKK will escalate the war. |
"We don't want to separate from Turkey and set up a state. | "We don't want to separate from Turkey and set up a state. |
"We don't want to divide Turkey. We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely...The struggle will continue until the Kurds' innate rights are accepted." | "We don't want to divide Turkey. We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely...The struggle will continue until the Kurds' innate rights are accepted." |
A spokesman for the Turkish President responded by stating there was no chance of negotiation with the PKK "at the moment". | |
Ilnur Cevik told the BBC the PKK is "trying to create a separate state in Turkey – this is outright secession". | |
He said: "We are going to struggle right to the bitter end to stop this. And the Turkish people are now determined – public opinion polls say. They say, 'don't stop'." | |
A two-year-long ceasefire between Turkey and PKK broke down last July. | |
The PKK is reported to chave carried out numerous attacks on Turkish soil, while President Erdogan has responded by launching air strikes on rebel bases in northern Iraq. | |
In March, 37 people were killed and at least 125 injured in a bomb attack on Ankara. The Kuristan Freedom Hawks, an offshoot of the PKK, claimed responsibility for the killings. | |
The Turkish government has previously vowed to "liquidate" the PKK, which it considers a terrorist organisation along with the European Union and the United States |