PKK urges US to mediate in secret talks with Washington

[Anthea]

The Telegraph

PKK urges US to mediate in its war with Turkey and admits to secret talks with Washington

Cemil Bayik, one of the three-man interim leadership council of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), tells the Telegraph it would accept a ceasefire with Turkey under US guarantees
By Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor

The leaders of the PKK Kurdish guerrilla organisation has said they have been in indirect talks with the United States, despite being listed by Washington as terrorists, asking it to intervene and mediate in its war with Turkey.

In an interview with Telegraph, Cemil Bayik, one of the three-man interim leadership council of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), would not identify the intermediaries in the negotiations – used because of its international proscription as a terrorist group.

He also said the group was rejecting any idea of a unilateral ceasefire in the recent fight with Ankara, in which it has killed more than 20 policemen and soldiers while coming under heavy air attack from Turkish fighter bombers.

However, Mr Bayik – one of the founding members of the group – said it would accept a ceasefire under US guarantees.

“Of course there are messages, there are meetings, letters and they are likely to develop more,” he said. “I repeat my call that the US mediate in this situation between us and Turkey, and if they give us a guarantee we accept that role.

“Unless there are guarantees we cannot make unilateral steps.”

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