Kurdish PKK says deadly Syria clashes are an attempt to sabotage its ongoing peace process with Turkey, urging Ankara to refrain from steps that undermine talks.
ISTANBUL: The deadly clashes in Syria between government forces and Kurdish fighters were an attempt to sabotage peace moves between Turkey and the PKK, the militant group said.
In a statement carried by the Firat news agency, the PKK said the attack on Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo and the attitude of state officials “sabotage the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process”.
The clashes erupted last week after talks stalled on integrating the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration into Syria’s new government.
Syrian forces gained full control of Aleppo by Sunday, taking over the city’s Kurdish neighbourhoods and evacuating fighters to Kurdish autonomous areas.
Turkey, which views the Kurdish fighters as a terror group affiliated with the PKK, praised Syria’s operation as being “against terrorist organisations”.
The PKK said the Aleppo attacks “call into question the ceasefire between our movement and Turkey and the ongoing ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process based on it”.
The group stated it had fulfilled its responsibilities in the peace process “without hesitation and with courage”.
It urged Turkey’s ruling party and its nationalist MHP ally to “refrain from steps and practices that sabotage the process”.
