MOUNT QANDIL, Kurdistan, March 28, 2008 (AFP) Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
has threatened to retaliate against Ankara after the violence during the New
Year celebration of Newroz in Turkish-occupied Kurdistan.
"The Turkish state must listen to the message of freedom from the Kurdish people
and immediately halt its violence against civilians," the number two of the PKK
group, Bozam Tekim, told AFP in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be uncontrolled reaction. The Turkish state and the ruling party
will bear the responsibility of these new developments."
Tekim warned that unless Ankara ended its actions of "abuse against civilians,
the PKK will retaliate".
The interview was conducted in the Qandil mountains, an area of tall, rugged
mountains in Southern Kurdistan.
Two people were killed and dozens injured over the past week in Turkish-occupied
Kurdistan during the celebration of the Kurdish new year, which fell on March
21.
Dozens of people have been detained by Turkish regime where celebrations of
Newroz Day turned into protests of support for the PKK.
"The Kurdish people continue to fight for freedom. They have once again
demonstrated their support for the PKK and its leader Abdullah Ocalan (PKK
founder who is imprisoned in Turkey)," said Tekim.
"The new violence against civilians demonstrates that the Turkish state
continues its policy of force and denial of our rights," he charged.
The recent incursions by the Turkish army in Iraqi Kurdistan, "despite the
support of the United States, has resulted in its failure", the guerrilla leader
said.
The Turkish army "got a severe lesson" during the incursion in the last week of
February in the Zap region of Iraq.
The PKK claims it killed 127 Turkish soldiers and lost nine of its fighters.
