Last week nine PKK members escaped from PKK bases located in northern Iraq and entered Turkey through the Habur border gate, where they surrendered to Turkish military forces. Their criminal files were brought to the Diyarbakır public prosecutor, who ruled that the terrorists must be released, according to law.
Meanwhile, Duran Kalkan, a senior PKK member, said a cease-fire announced by the organization would end on Sept. 1 and threatened to start attacks if the Turkish military resumes its operations in northern Iraq, the Fırat news agency reported.
“The cease-fire will end on Sept. 1, but some circles don't seem to be paying attention. They ignored the problem and act as if there is no issue,” Kalkan said, adding that the Turkish military should abandon its operations and discuss the peace process seriously to create consensus among the public. “The PKK has pursued a one-sided cease-fire with Turkey for months, but the Turkish military forces continue with their operations. The cease-fire should be two-sided, a situation possible only when the Turkish military lays down its arms. If they continue what they're doing, new conflicts will come to our agenda,” added Kalkan.
