- Title: TURKEY-ATTACKS/MORNING Turks call for peace talks after wave of attacks
- Date: 11th August 2015
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (AUGUST 11, 2015) (REUTERS) WOMAN AT NEWSPAPER KIOSK NEWSPAPERS ON DISPLAY TURKISH SOZCU NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING (Turkish): "CHAOS" TURKISH HURRIYET NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING (Turkish): "IT'S A SHAME WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS COUNTRY" VARIOUS OF SECURITY ANALYST, NIHAT ALI OZCAN, READING A NEWSPAPER (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) SECURITY ANALYST, NIHAT ALI OZCAN, SAYING: "The peace process came to a halt after the pro-Kurdish party strengthened its position and the ruling party was weakened and [President Tayyip] Erdogan's chance to realise his project (a U.S. style presidential system) ran out. The government chose to follow the path of violence to find a strategic way out and PKK also chose violence to take back the opportunities it lost during this process. Therefore, these hostilities are likely to continue for a while. How this will develop? This depends on whether the government will be formed or whether there will be early polls." TURKISH MILLIYET NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING (Turkish): "ATTACKS COME FROM EVERYWHERE" TURKISH VATAN NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING (Turkish): "BLACK MONDAY" (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) SECURITY ANALYST, NIHAT ALI OZCAN, SAYING: "(Revolutionary People's Front) DHKP-C has been carrying out similar attacks in Istanbul. Although they claim to be motivated by ideologies, we know that they can act with sectarian motives linked with the developments in Syria. Therefore, the reason they have targeted the United States has to do with with ideological and sectarian motives." ISTANBUL, TURKEY (AUGUST 11, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, ZEKI YILMAZ, SAYING: "I think the peace process should continue because Turks, Kurds, Alevites, Sunnis, we are all brothers. This our cultural heritage. I wish everybody would consider that and live together." PEOPLE GETTING ON BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, AYSEN AKCA, SAYING: "Everybody should make a sacrifice and do everything it takes to stop the killings. It is not possible for the sides to get everything they want. This is utopia. Everybody should make a compromise to stop the bloodshed. People are being killed from both sides everyday. Our heart goes for our martyrs. My brother is a police officer. I fear for his life everyday. Therefore we want a sacrifice and a solution to stop the killings." CARS DRIVING PAST
- Embargoed: 26th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Turkey
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAC48LPRTNXLMMIJVXF7CJAZX2C
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Turks called an end for hostilities on Tuesday (August 11), a day after two women shot at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul and at least nine people were killed in a wave of separate attacks on Turkish security forces.
The violence came weeks after Ankara began a crackdown on Islamic State fighters in Syria, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq and far-left militants.
PKK announced it was stepping up attacks in mid-July, saying Turkish forces were violating a 2013 ceasefire.
One security analyst said the fate of peace talks between the government and the Kurds was linked to political stability.
"The peace process came to a halt after the pro-Kurdish party strengthened its position and the ruling party was weakened and [President Tayyip] Erdogan's chance to realise his project (a U.S. style presidential system) ran out. The government chose to follow the path of violence to find a strategic way out and PKK also chose violence to take back the opportunities it lost during this process," Nihat Ali Ozcan said.
"Therefore, these hostilities are likely to continue for a while. How this will develop? This depends on whether the government will be formed or whether there will be early polls," Ozcan told Reuters.
Erdogan's AK Party lost its parliament majority in a June 7 election for the first time since it came to power, plunging Turkey into political uncertainty.
Parties have until August 23 to agree a working coalition or Erdogan could call a new election. He has made little secret of his preference for single-party rule.
Monday's attack on the U.S. consulate was claimed by far-left group Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C), that killed a Turkish security guard in a 2013 suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
Analyst Ozcan said the group's motives were linked to developments in Syria.
"DHKP-C has been carrying out similar attacks in Istanbul. Although they claim to be motivated by ideologies, we know that they can act with sectarian motives linked with the developments in Syria. Therefore, the reason they have targeted United States has to do with ideological and sectarian motives," he said.
The attacks came a day after the United States sent six F-16 fighter jets and about 300 personnel to Incirlik air base in Turkey as part of coalition efforts to fight Islamic State.
Turkey opened its air bases to the U.S.-led coalition against the militant group last month after some reluctance and also carried out its own bombing raids, stepping up its role after a suspected Islamic State suicide bomber killed 32 people in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border in July.
People in the streets of Istanbul said a peace solution must be found to end the violence.
"I think the peace process should continue because Turks, Kurds, Alevites, Sunnis, we are all brothers. This our cultural heritage. I wish everybody would consider that and live together," Istanbul resident Zeki Yilmaz said.
"Everybody should make a sacrifice and do everything it takes to stop the killings. It is not possible for the sides to get everything they want. This is utopia. Everybody should make a compromise to stop the bloodshed. People are being killed from both sides everyday. Our heart goes for our martyrs. My brother is a police officer. I fear for his life everyday. Therefore we want a sacrifice and a solution to stop the killings," Aysen Akca added.
The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and European Union.
It launched its insurgency in 1984 to press for greater Kurdish rights. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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