Kurdish peace 'impossible' - Turkey's Erdogan

Kurdish peace impossible - Turkey's Erdogan

~!~ Turkey has also been hit by attacks by by Islamic State-linked militants including one that left 32 dead in the town of Suruc last week// Turkey considers both the PKK and IS terrorist Over the past week, analysts say, Turkey has turned its approach to the US-led coalition against IS on its head// Previously a reluctant partner, it is now flying combat missions and making its airbases available to US jets//President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Ankara that it was **not possible to continue the peace process with those who threaten our national unity and brotherhood**// (ukcanadaus)

~!~ Later on Tuesday, Turkey*s military reported that it had used fighter jets to target Kurdish rebels after its soldiers were attacked in Sirnak province, near the country*s border with Iraq// In a statement quoted by the Associated Press news agency, it said the Kurdish militants had fired on Turkish soldiers with heavy weaponry//Turkish police have continued to arrest suspected members of IS, the PKK and leftist groups, with more than 1,000 held over the past week// Although Turkey insists Syrian Kurds are **outside the scope of the current military effort**, analysts say its new determination to tackle IS is linked to keeping a check on Kurdish militancy// (ukcanadaus)

~!~ Speaking after Mr Erdogan, a spokesman for the ruling AK Party insisted that the peace process with Kurdish militants could continue if **terrorist elements** put down their weapons and left the country// **We cannot say that the peace process is de facto over,** Besir Atalay told a news conference in Ankara// **There is currently a stagnation in the mechanism but it would restart where it left off if these intentions emerge//** (ukcanadaus)

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Kurdish peace 'impossible' - Turkey's Erdogan