...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...’s president reached out to propose a ceasefire agreement that would end their conflict in Turkey and the Kurdistan Region while intra-Kurdish tensions are high.
"A few months ago [
The message from Erdogan was that, if a truce is declared in Turkey, then "whatever you do in other parts of Kurdistan, will not be [Ankara’s] business," Karayilan said.
The PKK leader said this was an attempt by Turkey to encourage a war between the PKK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is the main ruling party in the Kurdistan Region and enjoys strong ties with Ankara. "This is the enemy’s game. We need to be aware," said Karayilan.
The offer from Turkey was made in secret and Karayilan wanted to raise it in a meeting with KDP leader Masoud Barzani or other officials, but decided to "reveal it to the Kurdish public now."
Historic tensions between the PKK and KDP are once again elevated as the PKK is under intense pressure from Turkey’s armed forces and drone power, and the guerrillas are blamed for two separate attacks on Peshmerga forces that resulted in the death of six. The PKK has denied involvement in the deaths.