ERBIL, Kurdistan - The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is ending the unilateral ceasefire it had implemented in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Turkey, the Kurdistan Community Union (KCK) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The PKK had announced a unilateral truce on February 10, days after strong twin earthquake struck the southern provinces in Turkey. The purpose of the ceasefire, according to the group, was to allow all resources to be focused on rescue efforts. The truce was extended in March to include the Turkish elections period.
The announcement was made by the KCK, an umbrella organization consisting of several groups including the PKK. Published on PKK-affiliated Hawar News Agency (ANHA), the statement read “We are announcing that we are terminating our decision of inaction as of today.”
It added that Turkish authorities continued anti-PKK operations despite the truce they had announced, mentioning the killing of Huseyin Arasan who was killed in Sulaimani on Friday as an example. The “resumption of active struggle” is inevitable, the statement added.
The PKK is an armed group that has struggled for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is regarded as a terrorist organization by Ankara.
Over 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake that rocked 10 provinces in Turkey on February 6.
In May, Turkey held its presidential and parliamentary elections which saw incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) reelected to lead the country for the next five years.
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