Turkey discusses disarmament with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan
A Turkish policeman watches over a protest against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on October 9, 2011, at Gemlik in Bursa.
Turkey is discussing disarmament with the jailed leader of the PKK Kurdish militant group, Abdullah Ocalan.
Ocalan is currently being held in solitary confinement on a remote island prison after being found guilty of treason, reported BBC News. The Turkish prime minister's top political adviser said the government had come to the conclusion that it would not likely defeat the outlawed military group.
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According to the Financial Times, Turkey had previously admitted to talks with Ocalan in an attempt to end a hunger strike by imprisoned PKK members, but this was the first time an official has confirmed negotiations with a broader agenda.
"You can’t win through armed struggle; you have to use other tactics and negotiation is one of them," said adviser Yalcin Akdogan.
In 2012, security forces killed 1450 members of the PKK, reported Haaretz. On Monday, soldiers killed at least 10 PKK rebels and seized weapons and ammunition during an operation in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir.