Baku – APA. Group of Communities in Kurdistan founded by Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) announced that they have stopped retreating from the Turkish territory to northern Iraq, blaming Ankara of not taking the "agreed" steps, APA reports quoting Xinhuanet.com.
The PKK commander, Cemil Bayik, has recently called on the Turkish government to implement the peace agreement signed between the two sides, setting October 1 as a deadline. "The state has not taken a step until now. That means they do not want to solve the problem," he said, adding "We're stopping the (withdrawal of) militants. If they attack, we'll defend ourselves. If they intensify the war, we'll send back the groups."
The settlement process began in October through talks between the government and the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan in order to end a decades-old Kurdish insurgency. The first step of the process includes a ceasefire and withdrawal of the PKK forces, which has started in March. The second phase stipulates constitutional and legal amendments and the third is laying down arms.
The PKK urged the Turkish government to pass to the second phase, however, the Turkish government argues that the PKK has not withdrawn all militants from the Turkish soil. Erdogan linked the government’s recent passive action on the Kurdish issue with the upcoming municipal elections in the country.
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