Turkey-PKK Meetings in Europe Are Nothing New

Kani Yilmaz (Kurdishmedia.com)

A leaked voice recording reveals secret talks between representatives of the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) organization in Oslo, Norway. Participants were Hakan Fidan, now the undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) (at that time adviser to the Turkish PM); Afet Güneş, deputy-undersecretary of the MİT, represented the Turkish intelligence organization; Sabri Ok, who is in charge PKK's European operations and alleged leader of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK); Zübeyir Aydar; PKK commanders Mustafa Karasu and Adem Uzun.

However these meetings in Europe are nothing new. The Turkish General Staff (Turkish army) conducted a series of negotiations with PKK between 1996 and 1999, even before the capture of the organization’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, the Taraf daily reported. Former PKK rebel Faysal Dunlayici (aka Kani Yilmaz) who was later allegedly killed by the PKK, also in an interview in 2004 revealed these talks. In these meetings Sabri Ok also played a role.

This shows that these backdoor meetings are nothing new and that the Turkish opposition parties shouldn't use this to sway public opinion against the government. Or they also should criticize the Turkish army for talking with the PKK. The AKP-government also spoke with Abdullah Öcalan, and sent a message to Qandil through a journalist who interviewed PKK-leaders. Now, however, the meetings are non-existent, or on a lower-level, since the government banned Öcalan's lawyers to visit him. The question is rather why these talks failed, and why Turkey's conflict with the PKK is still ongoing?