Erdo?an defends KCK investigation, says army will keep fighting terror

TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an spoke to reporters after Eid al-Adha prayers on Sunday. (Photo: Cihan)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an defended an investigation into the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), a group which prosecutors say is linked with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), saying the Turkish state will never tolerate attempts to create a “parallel state.”
“Let me be clear. It is not possible for the Republic of Turkey to allow the idea of parallel state, such as KCK,” Erdo?an told reporters after performing Eid al-Adha prayer at an ?stanbul mosque. “No one should expect us to tolerate this.”
The investigation into the KCK, which is said to operate as the urban wing of the PKK, has become controversial after a professor and a human right activist were arrested. Professor Bü?ra Ersanl? and publisher Rag?p Zarakolu were arrested last week by an ?stanbul court along 43 others. The suspects in the KCK case have been accused of various crimes, including membership in a terrorist organization, aiding and abetting a terrorist organization and attempting to destroy the country’s unity and integrity. The suspects include mayors and municipal officials from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (BDP), which has said the investigation is the government’s method of suppressing its politicians, denying any links between the suspects and terrorist organizations.
Erdo?an also said the military efforts against the PKK would continue. “No one should expect our security forces to lay down arms… If there is anyone that should lay down arms is the terrorist groups. I can tell you that things begin to move forward in a positive direction if they lay down arms,” said Erdo?an.

Erdo?an had talks with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on Saturday, discussing ways to eliminate the PKK terrorism. He said Turkey wants the Iraqi Kurdish administration to support Turkey’s efforts to fight the PKK, which uses its bases in northern Iraq as a springboard to launch attacks on Turkey and said the Peshmerga fighters could also join the fight. “We expect them to fight the PKK on its own if it is capable of doing so. If not, then we expect them to jointly fight with us. Otherwise, we have to do whatever necessary,” said Erdo?an.

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