TURKEY: Kurdish rebels extend cease-fire pending 'positive steps'
Is this uncharted territory in the 26-year war between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish government?
On Thursday evening, leaders of the Kurdistan Workers Party, known by the acronym PKK, held a news conference near one of their bases in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq to announce a one-month extension to their cease-fire with Turkey.
The original ceasefire began on Aug. 13 after nearly three months of heavy violence that left at least 100 Turkish soldiers dead. The decision to renew might be attributed to the rebels’ continued hope that Turkey will make positive steps towards peace, such as stopping air bombardments and releasing of political prisoners.
But in the past Turkey has continued military operations, ignoring the PKK cease-fires.