End of PKK Ceasefire?

The People's Confederation of Kurdistan (KCK) Executive Council Presidency announced that a new phase has started with the Newroz celebrations last weekend. "It is not an interim phase but a new period.  It will develop in terms of a 'Democratic Solution or Resistance'", KCK declared.

At the same time, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Murat Karayılan said in an interview with Ayla Jean Yackley from Reuters News Agency that after the closure of pro-Kurdish Demorcatic Society Party (DTP) a political solution has grown increasingly difficult to be reached in a political way. "We can end the ceasefire and resume the armed struggle", Karayılan warned.

Karayılan said that he expects the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to restart attacks against the PKK in Northern Iraq with the beginning of spring. "Enduring freedom cannot be achieved if the government's military operations and the pressure of political agents are being continued. We are going to counter the attacks, so this spring might pass problem-ridden and unpredictable", Karayılan said.

KCK: Important messages at Newroz celebrations

The announcement of KCK, the umbrella organization of the PKK, referred to this year's Newroz celebrations which were celebrated with more enthusiasm and an increased participation of the masses compared to the last years. According to the statement, "the celebrations can be seen as referendums and conveyed important messages". Moreover, KCK expressed its appreciation that no excesses occurred during Newroz this year.

"Important messages were given at the Newroz places as the will of millions of people. These messages were the needed answers of our people to the states that are dominating Kurdistan. The motto of the Kurdish people for Newroz 2010 was 'Free Leadership, Free Identity, Democratic Autonomy'. The celebration places were packed with people and important speeches were made by politicians. In particular, they gave a proper answer to stigmatizing the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and Leadership as terrorism and to the international forces, first and foremost the USA, who do not refrain from the concept of elimination. The answer was the reality of a Kurdistan Freedom movement".

Court decision in Brussles awaited for Thursday

The trial against nine people who were detained in Belgium on 4 March, among them Kongra-Gel (PKK) Chairman Remzi Kartal and executive Zübeyir Aydar, was continued on 22 March. Fırat News Agency (ANF) reported that the hearing was postponed to 25 March.

Remzi Kartal, Zübeyir Aydar, Orhan Nuri Amil, Abdulselam Mustafa, Naim Acar, Bezari Adıgüzel, Sezai Uçar and Ali Hakim are the detained defendants of the trial. (EÖ/VK)