According to an article published in the British paper Daily Telegraph, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party has said in order for Turkish airstrikes to end, they have had “indirect secret” meetings with the US.
The article, headlined “PKK urges US to mediate in its war with Turkey and admits to secret talks with Washington,” said the group was keen on the US playing a mediator role in ending airstrikes, World Bulletin reported.
In an interview with Telegraph, Cemil Bayik, one of the three-man interim leadership council of 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.
Bayik said that this would only be possible under US guarantees.
“Of course there are messages, there are meetings, letters and they are likely to develop more. 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.”
