MESOP : KANDIL PKK FINISHES THE FAILED MILITARY OFFENSIVE

Barzani to Mediate Between Turkey and PKK – Influential Kurdish politicians should play their role to bring the sides back to the negotiating table, a HDP MP says

Karzan Gli – BasNews – 19 April 2016 – ERBIL — Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani will be leading a fresh initiative to resume the Peace Process in Turkey and put an end to the deadly clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a member of the Kurdistan Region parliament says.

MP Mona Qahwachi, who is the Head of Turkmen Bloc in the Kurdistan Region Parliament, revealed to BasNews that Barzani will soon visit Turkey in hopes of finding a peaceful solution to the on-going conflicts between Turkey and PKK, “a mediation which is warmly welcomed by the US.”

Highlighting Barzani’s efforts to bring Turkey and PKK back to the negotiating table, Adem Geveri, a Kurdish Member of the Turkish Parliament for the Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), told BasNews that there have been no official approach made yet, “but it is highly valued if such initiatives  is introduced.”

Ankara may accept Barzani’s mediation as Turkey and Kurdistan Region have strong economic and diplomatic ties, Geveri said. “Turkey and PKK should realise that there is no interest in violence and they ultimately must solve their disputes on the negotiating table.”

HDP Spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen told BasNews that those influential Kurdish figures should play their role in resuming the Peace Process as the current situation in the Kurdish areas of south eastern Turkey needs an urgent solution through dialogues.  “A third party, who could mediate between Turkey and PKK, is of significant importance at this stage,” Bilgen pointed out, saying that no official approaches have yet been made. Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani visited Turkey earlier this month and met with Turkish president and prime minister, he might have delivered a message from President Barzani to the Turkish officials on the Turkey-PKK conflicts, as Dengir Mir Mehmet Fırat, a HDP MP told BasNews.

Kurdish MP for HDP, İmam Taşçıer is also optimistic about Barzani’s future initiative, insisting that while the ground is being provided for the resumption of the Peace Process, Turkish government, also, should take one step forward to show its goodwill on the process.  Taşçıer also welcomed an alleged plan by PKK for withdrawing its guerrillas from the cities, saying that the move can further facilitate peace talks to be resumed. www.mesop.de