Kurdistan Prime
Minister Urges PKK To Declare Ceasefire
ARBIL, (Southern Kurdistan), Nov 7, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's Kurdish region's prime
minister Nechirvan Barzani Wednesday urged Kurdish rebels to declare a ceasefire
"and think of another solution" to achieving their goal of a Kurdish state.
"If they continue this way, they will cause a lot of damage to themselves,"
Barzani told a press conference in Arbil, capital of northern Iraq's autonomous
Kurdish region.
"We ask the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) to think of another solution and give
up the military," Barzani added.
"The PKK should take into consideration our (regional) interests and think of
another solution, a peaceful one, and announce a long-term and unconditional
ceasefire," said Barzani.
He denied claims by Turkey the regional authority is not doing enough to rein in
the rebels.
"We took measures against the PKK to prevent them traveling by air, we increased
observations on Makhmor camp (where Turkish Kurd refugees are sheltered), and we
have tightened measures around the camp to prevent any infiltration by the PKK.
"Turkey is an important country for us. We have good economic relations."
