Erdogan Backpedals on Kurdish Issue

• 03.24.2015, 10:00
•  Region,  World

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that he was expecting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms and take concrete steps to foster peace, before Turkey’s government took further steps in the peace process, Hurriyet reports.  

During his now-weekly meeting with local community representatives on  March 23,  Erdogan particularly noted:

"Peace is not possible under the shadow of arms ... We cannot move forward in an environment in which promises are violated repeatedly unless we see concrete steps." 

In his speech,  president of Turkey  criticized  the Kurdish movement for failing to lay down its arms over the past year. According to the Turkish President the people of the country should not go to the ballot box under threats from the PKK.

 "It’s not possible to believe these promises unless we see the practice. We have to see the practice first." Erdogan  noted.