NEWSDESK, — Once again the Turkish prime minter Receb Tayyib Erdogan reflected his violence-based approach toward the Kurdish issue and warned to continue military operations.
While on his way from Cairo to Libya on Thursday Erdogan had time to respond to questions on the secret recording documenting a talk between National Intelligence Organization (MIT) officials, including Undersecretary Hakan Fidan, and PKK representatives, apparently held some time ago and leaked to the press on Wednesday.
Erdogan was hard in his comments saying that the government’s previous approach to PKK has come to an end. He warned not to expect any “new Habur”, referring to the PKK peace messengers who came back in Turkey and were greeted by hundreds of thousands.
“No, the Habur approach is over – he said – the state will continue to carry out its responsibility. The process won’t be affected. The state will implement the decisions it has taken. The PKK and its political extensions shouldn’t expect the kind of good will on our part that we have shown in the past.”
The prime minister also commented on a statement from Interior Minister Idris Naim Şahin that Turkey was planning a cross-border operation into northern Iraq against PKK targets. The Prime Minister said Şahin’s statement was a slip of the tongue, noting, “Such things aren’t told, they are just done.” He then added that the Turkish military was continuing large-scale operations both in urban areas and in rural areas against the PKK.