3 September 1998 Edition
Turkey rejects PKK ceasefire
The PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) has announced a unilateral and unconditional ceasefire, which came into effect on Tuesday 1 September. The announcement was made last Friday by the PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in a telephone interview with the Kurdish satellite television channel Med TV.
Ocalan said that for the third time the PKK is offering the Turkish government a unilateral truce, in order to create the conditions for a peaceful dialogue about the Kurdish question. The PKK called two previous ceasefires, in 1993 and 1995, but on both occasions the Turkish government rejected the truces, maintaining their stubborn position that they ``will not speak to terrorists''.
The first comments by the Turkish Prime Minister, Mesut Yilmaz, were not comforting. Yilmaz reiterated that he has ``no intention of giving Ocalan the chance to gain a place in Europe as a politician. If he has decided to surrender, then he should say so, because this is the only good thing he can do''.
In reality the Turkish government is facing serious economic and political problems (the war in Kurdistan takes up most of the state budget).
The PKK ceasefire came at a very crutial time for the Turkish government's political future. In April next year there will be a general election and Vilmaz has to use all his imagination and courage if he wants to be re-elected. But the truce coincided also with a change within the military system; a new general has been appointed head of the Turkish army.
The first reaction to the truce from the Turkish government has been one of rejection, but it will be important to see what will happen behind the scenes. In this respect a big responsibility lies with the European governments which are keeping Turkey out of the European Union on the ground of the country's poor human rights record, the Kurdish question and the occupation of Cyprus (and Turkey desperately wants to enter the EU, first and foremost to solve some of its economic problems) . So far the European governments have been hiding behind the phrase: ``Turkey's right to self defence against internal terrorism''. Now the PKK has called a ceasefire, removing even this easy alibi, is Europe going to turn their backs on the millions of Kurdish people who are demanding to talk about peace?
Ocalan said that for the third time the PKK is offering the Turkish government a unilateral truce, in order to create the conditions for a peaceful dialogue about the Kurdish question. The PKK called two previous ceasefires, in 1993 and 1995, but on both occasions the Turkish government rejected the truces, maintaining their stubborn position that they ``will not speak to terrorists''.
The first comments by the Turkish Prime Minister, Mesut Yilmaz, were not comforting. Yilmaz reiterated that he has ``no intention of giving Ocalan the chance to gain a place in Europe as a politician. If he has decided to surrender, then he should say so, because this is the only good thing he can do''.
In reality the Turkish government is facing serious economic and political problems (the war in Kurdistan takes up most of the state budget).
The PKK ceasefire came at a very crutial time for the Turkish government's political future. In April next year there will be a general election and Vilmaz has to use all his imagination and courage if he wants to be re-elected. But the truce coincided also with a change within the military system; a new general has been appointed head of the Turkish army.
The first reaction to the truce from the Turkish government has been one of rejection, but it will be important to see what will happen behind the scenes. In this respect a big responsibility lies with the European governments which are keeping Turkey out of the European Union on the ground of the country's poor human rights record, the Kurdish question and the occupation of Cyprus (and Turkey desperately wants to enter the EU, first and foremost to solve some of its economic problems) . So far the European governments have been hiding behind the phrase: ``Turkey's right to self defence against internal terrorism''. Now the PKK has called a ceasefire, removing even this easy alibi, is Europe going to turn their backs on the millions of Kurdish people who are demanding to talk about peace?