Kurdish PKK says ready to intensify fight against TurkeyApril 25, 2016 - 10:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Kurdish rebel PKK movement has told the BBC that it is ready to intensify its fight against Turkey because Ankara is trying to make it surrender, the news agency reports. Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Cemil Bayik said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "escalating this war". "The Kurds will defend themselves to the end, so long as this is the Turkish approach - of course the PKK will escalate the war," he said. Separately, an aide to Erdogan ruled out any negotiations with the PKK. Turkish presidential adviser Ilnur Cevik told the BBC's Mark Lowen that the PKK was "trying to create a separate state in Turkey - this is outright secession". When asked if there was any chance of negotiation, he replied: "At the moment, no". He added that Erdogan had popular support for the military campaign. But Bayik, the PKK's military leader, insisted that "we don't want to separate from Turkey and set up a state". "We don't want to divide Turkey. We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely... The struggle will continue until the Kurds' innate rights are accepted." He said Turkish intransigence had made the PKK ready to escalate the conflict "not only in Kurdistan, but in the rest of Turkey as well". Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |