Kurdistan president urges PKK to honor ceasefire with Turkey

Tuesday, 23 October 2007,

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President of Kurdistan called on the (PKK) to commit to the ceasefire.

President of Iraq's Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani on Monday called on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to commit to the ceasefire it announced this afternoon with Turkey to avoid turning the region into "a battle field."
"This came after a phone call between Barzani and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during which the two voiced dismay over the deteriorating situation in the region," Barzani's office said.
Kurdistan Coalition (KC) Member Mahmoud Othman had said earlier that the PKK announced it will cease its military activities starting Monday evening in compliance with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call to renounce violence and adopt a peaceful approach to the crisis.
Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq'
"Barzani urged the PKK to honor their decision and not to complicate the situation," the statement also said.
"The president called on the PKK to avoid turning the region into a "battle field," voicing readiness to take any step to solve the crisis peacefully," it noted.
The Kurdistan satellite channel of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by President Massoud Barzani aired breaking news on a phone call between Rice and Barzani.
"The two discussed the current situation and the Turkish threats to invade northern Iraq, during which they expressed deep concern," the channel reported.
"They urged all sides involved to resort to dialogue and diplomatic ways to tackle the issue," it added.
This came with intensified political efforts by the U.S. and Iraqi governments to avoid possible Turkish invasion to Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' to track down elements of the PKK.
Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels offered Turkey a conditional ceasefire on Monday dependant on the the Turkish military ending attacks against the fighters and abandoning plans for an incursion into Iraq's Kurdistan region.
On Sunday, the Turkish army said 12 soldiers were killed and 15 others were wounded during clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) fighters.