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Kurdish PKK rebels 'begin leaving Turkey' after truce | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Kurdish rebel fighters have begun leaving south-eastern Turkey for their safe havens in Iraq under a ceasefire, Kurdish sources say. | |
"We know that they have started moving," Selahattin Demirtas, a pro-Kurdish politician involved in the peace process, told AFP news agency. | |
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced last month a phased withdrawal to start early in May. | The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced last month a phased withdrawal to start early in May. |
More than 40,000 people have died in their 30-year fight against Turkey. | More than 40,000 people have died in their 30-year fight against Turkey. |
Gultan Kisinak, who co-chairs the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) along with Mr Demirtas, told the Associated Press news agency that a first group of fighters had started to move toward the border with northern Iraq. | |
The PKK is believed to have up to 2,000 fighters inside Turkey and their full withdrawal may take several months. | |
They are expected to cross the border on foot, heading for their bases in the Qandil Mountains of Iraq. | |
Abdullah Ocalan, the veteran PKK leader in prison in Turkey, ordered the withdrawal in March as part of peace negotiations with Ankara. | |
Withdrawal nerves | |
According to AFP, PKK fighters complained on Tuesday that the Turkish state had increased its forces in the border area and was carrying out surveillance flights. | |
Such actions, they said, were "delaying the peace process" and paving the way for "provocations and clashes". | |
The Turkish army did not confirm any extra measures but said their "fight against any terrorism" continued. | |
The PKK's acting leader, Murat Karayilan, warned in April that the fighters would strike back and the withdrawal would halt "immediately" if they were attacked. | |
"We have no doubt about the state but fear provocation from dark forces," Mr Demirtas said. | |
A 1999 withdrawal was abandoned after the Turkish military attacked rebels, killing some 500. | |
In January, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged the army would not attack any PKK fighters who laid down their arms and agreed to withdraw from Turkish soil. | |
"As you remember, there were some attempts [to withdraw] but [PKK militants] were shot down," he was quoted as saying by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. | |
"But we can assure them that we will not permit similar incidents to occur. If they promise [to lay down arms] and leave our country, we acquiesce to them withdrawing from [Turkey] without any operations." |