Kurdish militants say halting withdrawal from Turkey

     
Kurdish militants said on Monday they had stopped withdrawing from Turkish soil, citing failures by the government to take steps agreed under a peace process, but pledged to maintain a ceasefire for now.              

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas started withdrawing in May but the push to end a conflict that has cost more than 40,000 lives has become increasingly frayed, with both sides accusing each other of failing to keep their side of peace deal.             

PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, jailed on an island near Istanbul, declared a ceasefire in March after months of talks with the Turkish state and his militants began moving to Iraq two months later under a deal envisaging increased rights for Kurds.            

"While the withdrawal is halted, the ceasefire position will be maintained so as to give (the ruling) AK Party an opportunity to take steps in line with Leader Apo (Abdullah Ocalan)'s project," the KCK - the rebels' umbrella political group - said in a statement.             

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has staked much political capital in the peace process, was quoted last month as saying the PKK had not kept its promise, with only 20 percent of rebels leaving Turkey, mostly women and children.           


REUTERS