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Jailed Kurdish rebel chief backs Turkey protests

Agence France-PresseJune 7, 2013 23:22

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan on Friday voiced his support for the anti-government protests in Turkey, despite his involvement in peace talks with the Turkish authorities. "To me the resistance movement makes a lot of sense and I salute it," Ocalan said in a message. His words were read out by an official from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political party, the BNP following a visit to the Imrali island prison where the Kurdish rebel chief is serving a life sentence.

Kurdish rebels clash with Turkish army during withdrawal

Thomson ReutersJune 3, 2013 21:32

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kurdish militants opened fire on Turkish troops in southeast Turkey near the border with Iraq on Monday, slightly wounding one soldier, the military said, the first such incident since the rebels began withdrawing from Turkey under a peace process. There were two bursts of gunfire in Uludere in Sirnak province just after noon (0900 GMT) and a Turkish Cobra attack helicopter was subsequently dispatched to the area, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.

Kurd rebels and Turkish soldiers exchange fire: army

Agence France-PresseJune 3, 2013 20:30

Kurdish rebels shot at a Turkish army base on the country's border with Iraq Monday, prompting soldiers to return fire, the military said, in the first reported hostilities since a March ceasefire. The army said "a group of terrorists" fired shots at the base in the southeastern city of Sirnak, forcing return fire in "self-defence". The military was referring to members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been pulling out of Turkey since early May in line with a peace accord.

Kurd rebels and Turkish military exchange shots: army

Agence France-PresseJune 3, 2013 12:19

Kurdish rebels shot at a Turkish army base on the country's border with Iraq on Monday, prompting an army helicopter to return fire, the Turkish military said. "A group of terrorists fired intimidatory shots at an army base... in the southeastern city of Sirnak" and the chopper returned fire in "self-defence", an army statement said. It was referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been pulling out of Turkey since early May in line with a peace accord.

First Kurd rebels reach Iraq under Turkey truce

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 01:01

A first group of Kurdish fighters pulling out of Turkey under a truce arrived in the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq on Tuesday to handshakes and embraces after a gruelling week-long journey. But the Iraqi government slammed the movement of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters into its territory as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty and said it would complain to the UN Security Council. "We are the first group to reach the safe area in Iraq," said Jagar, leader of the group of PKK fighters that comprised nine men and six women.

First Kurdish rebels reach Iraq under Turkish peace plan

Thomson ReutersMay 14, 2013 18:15

By Isabel Coles HEROR, Iraq (Reuters) - Weary and caked in mud, the first group of Kurdish militants to leave Turkey under a peace plan to end three decades of war descended a mountain into Iraq on Tuesday to be met with embraces from PKK comrades.

First Kurdish fighters from Turkey arrive in Iraq

Agence France-PresseMay 14, 2013 06:30

The first group of Kurdish fighters leaving Turkey as part of a peace drive with Ankara arrived to handshakes and embraces in Iraqi Kurdistan early Tuesday after a gruelling week-long journey. "We are the first group to reach the safe area in Iraq," said Jagar, leader of the group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters that comprised nine men and six women. The fighters, who arrived in the Harur area at about 6:00 am (0300 GMT), were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, light machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

First Kurdish fighters from Turkey arrive in Iraq

Agence France-PresseMay 14, 2013 03:45

The first group of Kurdish fighters leaving Turkey as part of a peace drive with Ankara arrived to cheers and hugs in Iraqi Kurdistan early Tuesday after a gruelling week-long journey. "We are the first group to reach the safe area in Iraq," said Jagar, the leader of the group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters, which comprised nine men and six women. The fighters, who arrived in the Harur area at about 6:00 am (0300 GMT), were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, light machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Iraqi Kurds wary of PKK fighters coming from Turkey

Agence France-PresseMay 11, 2013 08:00

Iraqi Kurds living near the border are wary of thousands of Kurdish fighters leaving Turkey for northern Iraq, and hope the move does not lead to more Turkish air and artillery strikes. For years, Turkey's military has targeted fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, keeping farmers from their land and sometimes killing and wounding civilians. The PKK, which has fought a 29-year nationalist campaign against Ankara, is now withdrawing its fighters into Iraq, where it already has bases, as part of a peace drive with Turkey.

Kurdish rebels begin pullout from Turkey

Agence France-PresseMay 8, 2013 15:45

Kurdish fighters have begun withdrawing from Turkey into their stronghold in Iraq, Kurdish sources said Wednesday, in a major step towards ending a decades-long conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. The pullout is the first visible sign that months of fragile talks between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) could succeed in ending 29 years of guerrilla war. "We know that they have started moving," Selahattin Demirtas, a pro-Kurdish lawmaker actively involved in the process, told AFP.