Erdoğan: I Don’t Look at Monitoring Committee Positively

* Photo credit: Kayhan Özer / AA    

Prior to his visit to Ukraine this morning, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at press conference in Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport regarding a committee aimed to monitor the resolution process between the Turkish government and Kurdish PKK organization.

“I read everything in the newspapers and I have no idea about such thing,” Erdoğan said. “I don’t look at such [monitoring committee] positively. When I was serving as PM, I wasn’t positive for having some wise people council members to join the [negotiation process]. And I am repeating the same thing now,” he said. 

“These matters are handled through intelligence agencies. We also sent out some deputies. We sent them. We sent them as the government. What will it matter if the number rises from 3 to 5 or to 7. Shall we write a new story on this? I don’t find these efforts sincere,” he said. 

The aforementioned rumors spread last night that the council would be constituted by Kadir İnanır, Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Avni Özgürel, Öztürk Türkdoğan, Hilal Kaplan and Ahmet Taşgetiren - famous academicians and actors in Turkey. In addition, Beril Dedeoğlu, Ali Bayramoğlu and Şah İsmail Bedirhanoğlu were allegedly pending approval. 

After the spreading of rumors, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder from the Kurdish delegation and Vice PM Yalçın Akdoğan made statements on the issue, denying to verify the names.

Önder: Newroz message will be response

On the other hand, Banu Güven from IMC interviewed Önder who said that the names have yet to be clarified.

“The names will be announced once they are finalized. They are trying to coordinate the process along with Mr Öcalan,” he said. 

Önder also informed that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s expected Newroz message will be 2 pages and would be a comprehensive response to many inquiries. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.