Kurdish People Desire to Live Autonomously, Kışanak Says

"Our path is neither challenging nor difficult to understand. Our path is straight forward to a democratic republic and autonomous Kurdistan," Gültan Kışanak, Peace and Democracy Party co-chairperson, said during a visit to her party's branch in Kepez, Antalya province. Kışanak's speech was observed with crowd's enthusiastic slogans in Kurdish.

Underscoring Kurdish people's desire to live their language and history in an autonomous manner, Kışanak said the central authorities should delegate their competencies to local authorities in the 21st century.

Kışanak criticized AKP government's handling of Imrali process, saying that they are likely to lose if they attempt to manipulate the ongoing negotiations.

"Everyday there is a new speculation about who will go to Imrali island for the second row of negotiations with Öcalan. Until now, the government has yet to recognize PDP as a stakeholder in this process," Kışanak said. "We will discuss our new strategy tomorrow and come up with a proposal to the government."

On Friday, Kışanak also made a speech in Siirt province during a party congress, criticizing AKP government's exclusion policy on her as she hugged PKK militants during a trip in the southeastern Turkey last summer.

Reminding that she is ready to quit if she is indeed to blame, Kışanak said the priority should the prevention of deaths from Turkish and Kurdish youth in the clashes. (HK/BM)

* Photo: Ayhan Mergen - Siirt / AA