In light of Turkey&#39;s Prime Minister Binali Yildarim&nbsp;saying there was &quot;almost no doubt&quot; Saturday&#39;s bombings were carried out by the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), WION&nbsp;publishes an&nbsp;interview&nbsp;with&nbsp;Cemil&nbsp;Bayik, one of the organisation&#39;s founders and leaders, and one of Turkey&#39;s most wanted men. The interview&nbsp;was taken at the end of October 2016 in&nbsp;Iraq&#39;s&nbsp;Qandil&nbsp;mountains, where the group&nbsp;has its headquarters.

&nbsp;

Many states consider the&nbsp;Kurdistan&nbsp;Workers&#39; Party (PKK)&nbsp;a terrorist group. How do you answer to this?&nbsp;

Those who have designated PKK as a terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;know themselves it is false. PKK is a movement which struggles for freedom, democracy, human rights and the values of humanity. It was included in the list of terrorist&nbsp;groups&nbsp;on the basis of Turkey&rsquo;s demand.&nbsp;According to article five&nbsp;of the NATO treaty, every country which is under threat from any&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;must be defended by other members, who must act according to its requests. Turkey demanded NATO members to include PKK in the terrorist list and they had to accept.&nbsp;

NATO members share many economic, political and military interests in the region and they did not want to endanger these for not accepting Turkey&rsquo;s request.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&#39;Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies,&#39; says Bayik. (WION)
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&nbsp;

As PKK we do not regard as ourselves as a terrorist&nbsp;organisation. Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies.&nbsp;

In doing so PKK does not mean to establish a new state, nor changing the borders nor conquering the land of other peoples. We want Kurds to live on their own lands, to express themselves freely, to&nbsp;organise&nbsp;and practice their own traditions according to their identity. And the same for any other people in the region.&nbsp;

US and Europe may claim PKK is a terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;but the party has never carried any action against the US or Europe, it has not harmed any interest of the people of America and Europe. The inclusion of PKK in the terror list is an injustice, a violation of rights done against the Kurdish people.&nbsp;

A coalition force is fighting against the Islamic State (IS), an&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;which is considered terrorist. Many international actors&nbsp;recognised&nbsp;and appreciated the successful fight of PKK against IS, especially in&nbsp;Sinjiar&nbsp;where we saved hundreds of thousands of Yazidi from massacre. If the world now is fighting back IS, it is also because they have been encouraged by the fight of PKK. At a time when everybody run away in front of the flag of the Islamic State, the PKK went to the forefront and fought.&nbsp;

It has been well documented that Turkey, which claims that PKK is a terrorist&nbsp;organisation, has been the main force behind strengthening, developing, helping and arming the Islamic State. Even now Turkey intervenes and supports IS. So the main terrorist state which is supporting the terror of the Islamic State is Turkey and we can prove it by looking at what Turkey is doing especially in North Kurdistan, to the Kurdish cities there and what they are doing in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;

Time has come for the international forces to stop calling PKK terrorist. People of Europe know that PKK is a major force fighting against the Islamic State and defending the people against them, especially the Yazidis.&nbsp;

Turkey has done worse&nbsp;than what the Islamic State has done in Kobane in many cities in North Kurdistan. I call on people who call PKK terrorist to go and witness what Turkey has done against those cities. What Erdogan has done against the Kurds in Turkey is the same Saddam Hussain and Bashar Assad have been doing against their own people. How come&nbsp;the&nbsp;forces which call them a&nbsp;sponsor&nbsp;for state terror are not calling Erdogan the same?&nbsp;What he has done to the Kurds far exceeds what the previous two have done.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ankara has witnessed two major suicide attacks, in February and March 2016, resulting in the death of 67 people&nbsp;and&nbsp;more than 180 injured. The PKK has been pointed out as the mastermind, how do you respond to these accusations?&nbsp;

PKK has claimed responsibility for any action it has done. The secret state agencies active in Turkey have committed many crimes and then blamed the PKK. I call on the international community to set up an independent fact-finding commission to come and make an investigation about who has truly committed the many crimes we have been accused of.&nbsp;

During the past two years PKK has committed only one single action in Istanbul which has been claimed by&nbsp;the People Defence Forces (HPG). As PKK we have not done any military action in any big Turkish city.&nbsp;

There are several examples about actions committed by groups active within the Turkish State. The most recent is about the killing of two policemen for which the PKK was accused. This murder provided the ground for Turkey to move war against the PKK as a retaliation. We declared we have had no part in that killing but no investigation has been done. These are all measures meant to&nbsp;demonise the PKK.&nbsp;

I also want to call upon the international community for a fact-finding commission regarding young&nbsp;Kurds&nbsp;who want to join the guerrillas. We have evidence that when Turkey intercepts them, they are raped, male or female does not make any difference, and we consider this as a crime&nbsp;against&nbsp;humanity.&nbsp;

(WION was not able to&nbsp;independently verify Mr&nbsp;Bayik&#39;s claims.)

&nbsp;

What is your understating of the Turkish willingness to take part at any cost to the Mosul offensive and other anti-Islamic State offensives?&nbsp;

At the end of the First World War the issue of Mosul was still an open question. The city was part of the Ottoman territories, but after a treaty signed in 1926 Turkey was forced to withdraw. At that time Mosul was a region which comprehended almost all Kurdistan, to the point that&nbsp;the &quot;Kurdish question&quot;&nbsp;used to be called the &quot;Mosul question&quot;.&nbsp;

The condition that Turkey imposed while leaving Mosul was that Arabs and not Kurds should have ruled the region, a request which represents the beginning of nearly one hundred years of denial of rights for the Kurdish population.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now a new world war is taking place and the issue of Mosul is again at the core of this conflict. This war, in the Middle East, is between three main actors: global financial markets, nation states and populations. Turkey and Iran are the main forces representing the nation state. Turkey has openly declared its policy to pursue its national interests; Iran does the same, but in a more hidden way. Turkish President Erdogan stated that they have not accepted to withdraw from Mosul voluntarily, a clear manifestation of his willingness to restore an Ottoman empire. This attitude paves the way for a future conflict between Iraq and Turkey.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The fight for Mosul is not the fight for one single city, it will determine who will have a voice in the administration of the Middle East. It is a conflict between interests of different regional and international powers and will set the road for the new Middle East.&nbsp;

In this conflict, Kurds do not&nbsp;want to continue their life without enjoying a&nbsp;status of legitimacy. This desire extends also to all populations which have&nbsp;to face the same policy of denial.

(WION was not able to&nbsp;independently verify Mr&nbsp;Bayik&#39;s claims.)

&nbsp;

What is the &quot;new Middle East&quot;&nbsp;which could come after Mosul?&nbsp;

It is not clear yet on which basis the Middle East will be&nbsp;reorganised. It is clear that the region is undergoing a change and the current conflict will shape it accordingly. Mosul represents the fight of the entire region and it will not end easily and soon. It may open the way to new sectarian conflicts which could last long.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In order to understand the present situation, culture is what matters the most. Religion is one of the parameters of the western Asian culture and a clear understanding of its role within the communities is fundamental.&nbsp;

When we talk about religion, one of its main characteristics is to pay allegiance and this paves the way for dogmatism and conservatism in the Middle East. It prevents making new developments and progress because it makes mandatory to pay allegiance to different structures.&nbsp;

Without questioning this culture of allegiance, it is impossible to bring change in the Middle East. Reform and renaissance are based on negotiation, discussion, controversy and criticism. If one wants to bring change in the Middle East it is imperative to go through such reform and renaissance process.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As PKK we believe that change in the region can only happen by enhancing the struggle for the freedom of women and the Democratic Nation. For us, these are the two bases to bring enlightenment in a new Middle East.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Given the many sectarian actors fighting against the Islamic State,&nbsp;will Iraq survive as a&nbsp;united country or&nbsp;will it become&nbsp;a&nbsp;confederation of states based on religious beliefs?

Even if the Islamic State ends, sectarian conflicts will be even more dangerous. There are two main hegemonic powers competing against each other in the Middle East, Iran and Turkey. Iran supports Al-Hasd&nbsp;Al-Shaabi&nbsp;(the mainly Shiite paramilitary forces) and Turkey is supporting Al-Hash Al-Watani&nbsp;(a mainly Sunni paramilitary group).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Iran aims to create a Shiite belt extended till Lebanon and Turkey, with the support of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and using the Islamic State wants to establish its own new Ottoman hegemony.&nbsp;

Sectarian violence leads to disintegration and division within the society and create lasting hostilities between different communities, bringing a lot of ruin and destruction among the people.&nbsp;

The notion of Democratic Nation is a cure for this. It relies on unity between different religions and ethnic identities; only through implementing Democratic Nation it is possible to hold different entities together. We must insist on this concept to prevent sectarian conflicts in the region. The idea of Democratic Nation is gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, we have to develop it more if we want more freedom, unity, justice and equality for the people of the region.&nbsp;

Kurds should not take part in any sectarian conflict. There are different religious identities among Kurds and the only way to avoid division and sufferings is to stand against sectarian conflicts and work for the unity of all ethnic groups and religions. Only through that, Kurds will be able to defend themselves and the peoples of the Middle East.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sectarian conflict is a threat for the future of Middle East. You have long been fighting for Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds. Isn&rsquo;t this a sectarian struggle itself?

At the present time, we have no aim of creating an independent Kurdistan. If the Kurds, in every part of Kurdistan are allowed to enjoy their democratic rights, the Kurdish question will be solved.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Different Kurdish communities have their own peculiarities; if the Kurdish question will be resolved democratically in every country that will lead to the ultimate solution of the matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This exactly is what we mean with the concept of Democratic Nation: an entity which does not deny to any people their rights. We want the same also for other peoples. Democratic Nation does not mean setting up a separate nation for the Kurds, it means implementing notions such as freedom, democracy, brotherhood and justice among different peoples. Whatever the PKK wants for the Kurds, it wants it for other people too.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We are no longer fighting to create a separate state, borders are losing their meaning. The European Union is a sort of confederation of states where borders have not the same meaning as before; we want the same model for the Middle East. A region where borders will no longer be a problem for the unity of the people.&nbsp;

We do not intend democracy as the rule of majority over minority. It is instead a matter of rights. Every religious or ethnic group should be able to enjoy its own rights, irrespective of their number. This is the pillar of&nbsp;Democratic Nation.&nbsp;

(WION)

Turkey has blamed Saturday's twin bomb attack outside Istanbul's Besiktas stadium on the PKK

In light of Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildarim saying there was "almost no doubt" Saturday's bombings were carried out by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), WION publishes an interview with Cemil Bayik, one of the organisation's founders and leaders, and one of Turkey's most wanted men. The interview was taken at the end of October 2016 in Iraq's Qandil mountains, where the group has its headquarters. Many states consider the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a terrorist group. How do you answer to this? Those who have designated PKK as a terrorist organisation know themselves it is false. PKK is a movement which struggles for freedom, democracy, human rights and the values of humanity. It was included in the list of terrorist groups on the basis of Turkey’s demand. According to article five of the NATO treaty, every country which is under threat from any organisation must be defended by other members, who must act according to its requests. Turkey demanded NATO members to include PKK in the terrorist list and they had to accept. NATO members share many economic, political and military interests in the region and they did not want to endanger these for not accepting Turkey’s request. 'Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies,' says Bayik. (WION) × As PKK we do not regard as ourselves as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies. In doing so PKK does not mean to establish a new state, nor changing the borders nor conquering the land of other peoples. We want Kurds to live on their own lands, to express themselves freely, to organise and practice their own traditions according to their identity. And the same for any other people in the region. US and Europe may claim PKK is a terrorist organisation but the party has never carried any action against the US or Europe, it has not harmed any interest of the people of America and Europe. The inclusion of PKK in the terror list is an injustice, a violation of rights done against the Kurdish people. A coalition force is fighting against the Islamic State (IS), an organisation which is considered terrorist. Many international actors recognised and appreciated the successful fight of PKK against IS, especially in Sinjiar where we saved hundreds of thousands of Yazidi from massacre. If the world now is fighting back IS, it is also because they have been encouraged by the fight of PKK. At a time when everybody run away in front of the flag of the Islamic State, the PKK went to the forefront and fought. It has been well documented that Turkey, which claims that PKK is a terrorist organisation, has been the main force behind strengthening, developing, helping and arming the Islamic State. Even now Turkey intervenes and supports IS. So the main terrorist state which is supporting the terror of the Islamic State is Turkey and we can prove it by looking at what Turkey is doing especially in North Kurdistan, to the Kurdish cities there and what they are doing in Syria and Iraq. Time has come for the international forces to stop calling PKK terrorist. People of Europe know that PKK is a major force fighting against the Islamic State and defending the people against them, especially the Yazidis. Turkey has done worse than what the Islamic State has done in Kobane in many cities in North Kurdistan. I call on people who call PKK terrorist to go and witness what Turkey has done against those cities. What Erdogan has done against the Kurds in Turkey is the same Saddam Hussain and Bashar Assad have been doing against their own people. How come the forces which call them a sponsor for state terror are not calling Erdogan the same? What he has done to the Kurds far exceeds what the previous two have done. Ankara has witnessed two major suicide attacks, in February and March 2016, resulting in the death of 67 people and more than 180 injured. The PKK has been pointed out as the mastermind, how do you respond to these accusations? PKK has claimed responsibility for any action it has done. The secret state agencies active in Turkey have committed many crimes and then blamed the PKK. I call on the international community to set up an independent fact-finding commission to come and make an investigation about who has truly committed the many crimes we have been accused of. During the past two years PKK has committed only one single action in Istanbul which has been claimed by the People Defence Forces (HPG). As PKK we have not done any military action in any big Turkish city. There are several examples about actions committed by groups active within the Turkish State. The most recent is about the killing of two policemen for which the PKK was accused. This murder provided the ground for Turkey to move war against the PKK as a retaliation. We declared we have had no part in that killing but no investigation has been done. These are all measures meant to demonise the PKK. I also want to call upon the international community for a fact-finding commission regarding young Kurds who want to join the guerrillas. We have evidence that when Turkey intercepts them, they are raped, male or female does not make any difference, and we consider this as a crime against humanity. (WION was not able to independently verify Mr Bayik's claims.) What is your understating of the Turkish willingness to take part at any cost to the Mosul offensive and other anti-Islamic State offensives? At the end of the First World War the issue of Mosul was still an open question. The city was part of the Ottoman territories, but after a treaty signed in 1926 Turkey was forced to withdraw. At that time Mosul was a region which comprehended almost all Kurdistan, to the point that the "Kurdish question" used to be called the "Mosul question". The condition that Turkey imposed while leaving Mosul was that Arabs and not Kurds should have ruled the region, a request which represents the beginning of nearly one hundred years of denial of rights for the Kurdish population. Now a new world war is taking place and the issue of Mosul is again at the core of this conflict. This war, in the Middle East, is between three main actors: global financial markets, nation states and populations. Turkey and Iran are the main forces representing the nation state. Turkey has openly declared its policy to pursue its national interests; Iran does the same, but in a more hidden way. Turkish President Erdogan stated that they have not accepted to withdraw from Mosul voluntarily, a clear manifestation of his willingness to restore an Ottoman empire. This attitude paves the way for a future conflict between Iraq and Turkey. The fight for Mosul is not the fight for one single city, it will determine who will have a voice in the administration of the Middle East. It is a conflict between interests of different regional and international powers and will set the road for the new Middle East. In this conflict, Kurds do not want to continue their life without enjoying a status of legitimacy. This desire extends also to all populations which have to face the same policy of denial. (WION was not able to independently verify Mr Bayik's claims.) What is the "new Middle East" which could come after Mosul? It is not clear yet on which basis the Middle East will be reorganised. It is clear that the region is undergoing a change and the current conflict will shape it accordingly. Mosul represents the fight of the entire region and it will not end easily and soon. It may open the way to new sectarian conflicts which could last long. In order to understand the present situation, culture is what matters the most. Religion is one of the parameters of the western Asian culture and a clear understanding of its role within the communities is fundamental. When we talk about religion, one of its main characteristics is to pay allegiance and this paves the way for dogmatism and conservatism in the Middle East. It prevents making new developments and progress because it makes mandatory to pay allegiance to different structures. Without questioning this culture of allegiance, it is impossible to bring change in the Middle East. Reform and renaissance are based on negotiation, discussion, controversy and criticism. If one wants to bring change in the Middle East it is imperative to go through such reform and renaissance process. As PKK we believe that change in the region can only happen by enhancing the struggle for the freedom of women and the Democratic Nation. For us, these are the two bases to bring enlightenment in a new Middle East. Given the many sectarian actors fighting against the Islamic State, will Iraq survive as a united country or will it become a confederation of states based on religious beliefs? Even if the Islamic State ends, sectarian conflicts will be even more dangerous. There are two main hegemonic powers competing against each other in the Middle East, Iran and Turkey. Iran supports Al-Hasd Al-Shaabi (the mainly Shiite paramilitary forces) and Turkey is supporting Al-Hash Al-Watani (a mainly Sunni paramilitary group). Iran aims to create a Shiite belt extended till Lebanon and Turkey, with the support of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and using the Islamic State wants to establish its own new Ottoman hegemony. Sectarian violence leads to disintegration and division within the society and create lasting hostilities between different communities, bringing a lot of ruin and destruction among the people. The notion of Democratic Nation is a cure for this. It relies on unity between different religions and ethnic identities; only through implementing Democratic Nation it is possible to hold different entities together. We must insist on this concept to prevent sectarian conflicts in the region. The idea of Democratic Nation is gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, we have to develop it more if we want more freedom, unity, justice and equality for the people of the region. Kurds should not take part in any sectarian conflict. There are different religious identities among Kurds and the only way to avoid division and sufferings is to stand against sectarian conflicts and work for the unity of all ethnic groups and religions. Only through that, Kurds will be able to defend themselves and the peoples of the Middle East. Sectarian conflict is a threat for the future of Middle East. You have long been fighting for Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds. Isn’t this a sectarian struggle itself? At the present time, we have no aim of creating an independent Kurdistan. If the Kurds, in every part of Kurdistan are allowed to enjoy their democratic rights, the Kurdish question will be solved. Different Kurdish communities have their own peculiarities; if the Kurdish question will be resolved democratically in every country that will lead to the ultimate solution of the matter. This exactly is what we mean with the concept of Democratic Nation: an entity which does not deny to any people their rights. We want the same also for other peoples. Democratic Nation does not mean setting up a separate nation for the Kurds, it means implementing notions such as freedom, democracy, brotherhood and justice among different peoples. Whatever the PKK wants for the Kurds, it wants it for other people too. We are no longer fighting to create a separate state, borders are losing their meaning. The European Union is a sort of confederation of states where borders have not the same meaning as before; we want the same model for the Middle East. A region where borders will no longer be a problem for the unity of the people. We do not intend democracy as the rule of majority over minority. It is instead a matter of rights. Every religious or ethnic group should be able to enjoy its own rights, irrespective of their number. This is the pillar of Democratic Nation. (WION)

WION interviews Cemil Bayik, a founder-leader of the PKK or Kurdistan Workers' Party

Turkey observed a day of mourning Sunday after twin bombings killed 38 people near an Istanbul football stadium in attacks authorities said were likely the work of Kurdish militants.

A car bomb detonated Saturday night outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match against Bursaspor, and less than a minute later a suicide attacker blew himself up near a group of police at a nearby park.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who postponed foreign travel, decared Turkey would &quot;fight terrorism to the end&quot;.

He and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim attended the funeral of five of the 30 police officers killed, while flags were ordered flown at half mast.

In a solemn ceremony at Istanbul&#39;s police headquarters the leaders spoke with the victims&#39; families and watched as officers carried their coffins draped with the Turkish flag.

&quot;Sooner or later we will have our revenge&quot;, Interior Minister Suleman Soylu told the mourners. &quot;The arm of the law is long&quot;.

People also gathered outside the Besiktas stadium to lay flowers, many holding Turkish flags and shouting &quot;Down with the PKK!&quot; and &quot;Our homeland is indivisible!&quot;

&nbsp;

Who is responsible?

Sources told WION the &quot;PKK has no relation with such attacks. It has criticised and condemned them many times. TAK [Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan] has assumed responsibility for it.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38280638">BBC </a>website reports that the TAK claimed responsibility, which they describe as an &quot;offshoot of the PKK&quot;. The<a href="http://www.teyrebazenkurdistan.com/"> TAK website,</a> indeed, claimed the attack, despite describing the attack in exaggerated terms.

&nbsp;

Soylu said 30 police, seven civilians and an unidentified person had died in the blasts and 155 were wounded. Thirteen people have been detained over the blasts.

&quot;The findings point to the PKK as the authors&quot; of the attacks, Soylu said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).&nbsp;

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, speaking on CNN Turk television, said the attack had targeted the police. &nbsp;&quot;Experts say at least 300-400 kilogrammes of explosives had been used. There was a pit where the car detonated,&quot; he said.

A forensic team on Sunday inspected the stadium and the park to collect evidence, an AFP journalist said, while municipal workers cleaned up the area.

State broadcaster TRT late Saturday showed images of the wreckage of a car engulfed in flames with emergency services swarming around the scene outside the sports venue.

Other footage showed wrecked police vehicles, while witnesses said the force of the blast shattered the windows of nearby homes.

&quot;I heard two explosions in less than one minute, followed by the sound of gunshots,&quot; one witness told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Besiktas is one of Istanbul&#39;s most popular football clubs, and its fans are known for their anti-establishment views and famously played a big role in the 2013 protests against Erdogan, who was then prime minister.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday&#39;s attack.

In an earlier statement, Erdogan said that &quot;the name or the method of the terrorist organisation that perpetrated the vile attack&quot; did not matter.&nbsp;

&quot;Nobody should doubt that we will defeat terror, terror groups, terrorists and of course the forces behind them, with God&#39;s help,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Prayers with #Istanbul 
 
Besiktas in a statement vowed to &quot;stand firm against the vile attackers who will never achieve their goal.&quot;

The stadium is near the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce palace that houses Prime Minister Binali Yildirim&#39;s offices and about a kilometre (half a mile) from the busy Taksim Square, a magnet for tourists.

In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming the Islamic State group.

Another 57 people including 34 children were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.

Other deadly bombings have been claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a splinter group of the PKK.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned the &quot;horrific acts of terror&quot; in Istanbul, adding: &quot;We stand united in solidarity with our ally Turkey. We remain determined to fight terrorism in all its forms.&quot;&nbsp;

The US embassy in Turkey wrote on Twitter: &quot;Our hearts and prayers are with the people of #Istanbul tonight.&quot;

&quot;We don&rsquo;t know who is behind the attacks but nothing can justify such acts,&quot; German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

&quot;They also targeted a society of sport fans which was trying to recover from the horrible attacks of recent months and find its way back to normality.&quot; 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

Turkey suspects the PKK, but sources told WION, 'PKK has no relation with such attacks. It has criticized and condemned them many times'

Turkey observed a day of mourning Sunday after twin bombings killed 38 people near an Istanbul football stadium in attacks authorities said were likely the work of Kurdish militants. A car bomb detonated Saturday night outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match against Bursaspor, and less than a minute later a suicide attacker blew himself up near a group of police at a nearby park. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who postponed foreign travel, decared Turkey would "fight terrorism to the end". He and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim attended the funeral of five of the 30 police officers killed, while flags were ordered flown at half mast. In a solemn ceremony at Istanbul's police headquarters the leaders spoke with the victims' families and watched as officers carried their coffins draped with the Turkish flag. "Sooner or later we will have our revenge", Interior Minister Suleman Soylu told the mourners. "The arm of the law is long". People also gathered outside the Besiktas stadium to lay flowers, many holding Turkish flags and shouting "Down with the PKK!" and "Our homeland is indivisible!" Who is responsible? Sources told WION the "PKK has no relation with such attacks. It has criticised and condemned them many times. TAK [Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan] has assumed responsibility for it." The BBC website reports that the TAK claimed responsibility, which they describe as an "offshoot of the PKK". The TAK website, indeed, claimed the attack, despite describing the attack in exaggerated terms. Soylu said 30 police, seven civilians and an unidentified person had died in the blasts and 155 were wounded. Thirteen people have been detained over the blasts. "The findings point to the PKK as the authors" of the attacks, Soylu said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, speaking on CNN Turk television, said the attack had targeted the police. "Experts say at least 300-400 kilogrammes of explosives had been used. There was a pit where the car detonated," he said. A forensic team on Sunday inspected the stadium and the park to collect evidence, an AFP journalist said, while municipal workers cleaned up the area. State broadcaster TRT late Saturday showed images of the wreckage of a car engulfed in flames with emergency services swarming around the scene outside the sports venue. Other footage showed wrecked police vehicles, while witnesses said the force of the blast shattered the windows of nearby homes. "I heard two explosions in less than one minute, followed by the sound of gunshots," one witness told AFP on condition of anonymity. Besiktas is one of Istanbul's most popular football clubs, and its fans are known for their anti-establishment views and famously played a big role in the 2013 protests against Erdogan, who was then prime minister. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack. In an earlier statement, Erdogan said that "the name or the method of the terrorist organisation that perpetrated the vile attack" did not matter. "Nobody should doubt that we will defeat terror, terror groups, terrorists and of course the forces behind them, with God's help," he said. Prayers with #Istanbul Besiktas in a statement vowed to "stand firm against the vile attackers who will never achieve their goal." The stadium is near the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce palace that houses Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's offices and about a kilometre (half a mile) from the busy Taksim Square, a magnet for tourists. In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming the Islamic State group. Another 57 people including 34 children were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. Other deadly bombings have been claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a splinter group of the PKK. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned the "horrific acts of terror" in Istanbul, adding: "We stand united in solidarity with our ally Turkey. We remain determined to fight terrorism in all its forms." The US embassy in Turkey wrote on Twitter: "Our hearts and prayers are with the people of #Istanbul tonight." "We don’t know who is behind the attacks but nothing can justify such acts," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. "They also targeted a society of sport fans which was trying to recover from the horrible attacks of recent months and find its way back to normality." (With inputs from AFP)

Turkey observes day of mourning after 38 killed, 155 injured in blasts

Twelve people were killed in a spate of bombings against Turkish security forces blamed on Kurdish rebels who appear to have ramped up their campaign of attacks in the aftermath of the failed coup. 
 
Turkish officials accused the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) of carrying out three bloody attacks in less than 24 hours that for the first time struck areas in the east that are not predominantly Kurdish.&nbsp;&quot;This nation will never surrender to any terrorist organisation,&quot; Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday on a visit to the scene of one of the bombings. 
 
The bloodshed comes in the week that the PKK, regarded as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies, marks what is considered to be the 32nd anniversary of its armed rebellion against the Turkish state. 
 
In the deadliest strike, five soldiers and a village guard were killed when a homemade bomb blew up in the path of a military convoy in the southeastern town of Bitlis on Thursday, Turkish media reported.&nbsp;Just a few hours earlier, three police officers were killed and more than 200 people injured in a car bombing against police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig, leaving the building largely in ruins. 
 
The city, a conservative nationalist bastion, had been spared much of the violence that has rocked the Kurdish-dominated southeast since a two-and-a-half year ceasefire collapsed in 2015. 
 
And on Wednesday night, two more policemen and a civilian were killed and dozens wounded in a similar attack in the city of Van, not far from the border with Iran. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Thwart the PKK&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The rebels appear to have intensified their attacks since the failed attempt on July 15 to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
One senior Turkish politician suggested that the PKK was collaborating with supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup bid.&nbsp;&quot;Once again, the attacks in Van and Elazig show how PKK and FETO (Fethullah Terrorist Organisation)&nbsp;work together,&quot; former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu wrote on Twitter. 
 
&quot;We will thwart the PKK like we thwarted FETO,&quot; Defence Minister Fikri Isik told the Anadolu news agency, using the name Ankara gives to the movement led by Gulen.&nbsp;Yildirim, who visited the scene of the attack in Elizag along with several ministers including Isik and army chief Hulusi Akar, said a total of 217 people had been injured, including police and civilians. 
 
A Turkish official said more than 70 civilians and police officers were also wounded in the attack in Van, which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. 
 
 
&#39;Exploiting the crisis&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the Turkish government told AFP that the PKK was taking &quot;advantage of the current atmosphere in Turkey&quot;. 
 
&quot;Any terrorist organisation likes to exploit crises,&quot; the source said, referring to the aftermath of the failed putsch which has seen a massive purge of the army, including the dismissal of almost half Turkey&#39;s generals and admirals.&nbsp;Davutoglu&#39;s suggestions of collaboration between the PKK and so-called Gulenists stand in contrast to the history of tense relations between them. 
 
It has often been said that one of the reasons for the acrimonious split between Erdogan and Gulen is the Turkish leader&#39;s now failed peace push with the Kurds. 
 
More than 600 members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in PKK attacks since the ceasefire collapsed, according to a toll given by Anadolu on July 31.&nbsp;The government has hit back with deadly military offensives against the group in southeastern Turkey, including punishing curfews on urban areas. 
 
Anadolu said the operations have killed more than 7,000 militants in Turkey and northern Iraq but the toll cannot be independently verified.&nbsp;Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. 
 
(AFP)

'This nation will never surrender to any terrorist organisation,' PM Binali Yildirim said on a visit to the scene of one of the bombings

Twelve people were killed in a spate of bombings against Turkish security forces blamed on Kurdish rebels who appear to have ramped up their campaign of attacks in the aftermath of the failed coup. Turkish officials accused the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of carrying out three bloody attacks in less than 24 hours that for the first time struck areas in the east that are not predominantly Kurdish. "This nation will never surrender to any terrorist organisation," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday on a visit to the scene of one of the bombings. The bloodshed comes in the week that the PKK, regarded as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies, marks what is considered to be the 32nd anniversary of its armed rebellion against the Turkish state. In the deadliest strike, five soldiers and a village guard were killed when a homemade bomb blew up in the path of a military convoy in the southeastern town of Bitlis on Thursday, Turkish media reported. Just a few hours earlier, three police officers were killed and more than 200 people injured in a car bombing against police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig, leaving the building largely in ruins. The city, a conservative nationalist bastion, had been spared much of the violence that has rocked the Kurdish-dominated southeast since a two-and-a-half year ceasefire collapsed in 2015. And on Wednesday night, two more policemen and a civilian were killed and dozens wounded in a similar attack in the city of Van, not far from the border with Iran. 'Thwart the PKK' The rebels appear to have intensified their attacks since the failed attempt on July 15 to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One senior Turkish politician suggested that the PKK was collaborating with supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup bid. "Once again, the attacks in Van and Elazig show how PKK and FETO (Fethullah Terrorist Organisation) work together," former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu wrote on Twitter. "We will thwart the PKK like we thwarted FETO," Defence Minister Fikri Isik told the Anadolu news agency, using the name Ankara gives to the movement led by Gulen. Yildirim, who visited the scene of the attack in Elizag along with several ministers including Isik and army chief Hulusi Akar, said a total of 217 people had been injured, including police and civilians. A Turkish official said more than 70 civilians and police officers were also wounded in the attack in Van, which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. 'Exploiting the crisis' Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the Turkish government told AFP that the PKK was taking "advantage of the current atmosphere in Turkey". "Any terrorist organisation likes to exploit crises," the source said, referring to the aftermath of the failed putsch which has seen a massive purge of the army, including the dismissal of almost half Turkey's generals and admirals. Davutoglu's suggestions of collaboration between the PKK and so-called Gulenists stand in contrast to the history of tense relations between them. It has often been said that one of the reasons for the acrimonious split between Erdogan and Gulen is the Turkish leader's now failed peace push with the Kurds. More than 600 members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in PKK attacks since the ceasefire collapsed, according to a toll given by Anadolu on July 31. The government has hit back with deadly military offensives against the group in southeastern Turkey, including punishing curfews on urban areas. Anadolu said the operations have killed more than 7,000 militants in Turkey and northern Iraq but the toll cannot be independently verified. Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. (AFP)

12 dead in spate of Turkey attacks blamed on PKK

Three soldiers and a local guard were killed today in an attack on a Turkish military convoy in the town of Bitlis in the country&#39;s troubled southeast, state-run media reported. 
 
Another six soldiers were injured in the bombing blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), news agency Anadolu said. 
 
The attack was carried out using a handmade bomb that detonated as the armoured vehicle drove by, the agency added. 
 
The guard killed was part of a group of local residents who cooperate with Turkish security forces in the fight against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. 
 
The latest attack came after three police officers were killed in an assault earlier Thursday on the police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig. 
 
Two more policemen and a civilian were killed in another car bombing on Wednesday night in Van, another city in the east which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. 
 
The PKK, which has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades, appear to have intensified their attacks since the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
Over 40,000 people have been killed since the group first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The attack on a military convoy was blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party

Three soldiers and a local guard were killed today in an attack on a Turkish military convoy in the town of Bitlis in the country's troubled southeast, state-run media reported. Another six soldiers were injured in the bombing blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), news agency Anadolu said. The attack was carried out using a handmade bomb that detonated as the armoured vehicle drove by, the agency added. The guard killed was part of a group of local residents who cooperate with Turkish security forces in the fight against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The latest attack came after three police officers were killed in an assault earlier Thursday on the police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig. Two more policemen and a civilian were killed in another car bombing on Wednesday night in Van, another city in the east which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. The PKK, which has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades, appear to have intensified their attacks since the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Over 40,000 people have been killed since the group first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. (AFP)

Turkey hit by third bomb attack; four dead, 6 injured

Kurdish militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility today, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said.

The military and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels have clashed on a daily basis since a two-year-old ceasefire between them collapsed in July last year. The fighting has killed thousands of militants, security force members and civilians.

The latest car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers.

They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations.

The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region.

The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said.

It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition.

Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. 
 
(Reuters)

The attack comes a day after Turkish troops killed 19 Kurdistan Workers Party fighters in clashes elsewhere in the Kurdish region

Kurdish militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility today, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said. The military and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels have clashed on a daily basis since a two-year-old ceasefire between them collapsed in July last year. The fighting has killed thousands of militants, security force members and civilians. The latest car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers. They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations. The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region. The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said. It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition. Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. (Reuters)

3 killed in car bomb attack by Kurdish militants in Turkey

Turkish fighter jets struck Kurdish militant targets in rural areas of Turkey&#39;s southeastern Hakkari province and northern Iraq on Friday, killing 12 militants, security sources said. 
 
Eight Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets near the southeastern town of Semdinli and seven others in northern Iraq, where the group&#39;s leadership is based, were hit in the air strikes, the sources said. 
 
Following intelligence gathered by drones, jets took off from Diyarbakir, the mainly Kurdish region&#39;s largest city, hitting shelters and groups of militants across territory where Turkey regularly carries out air strikes against the PKK. 
 
A military outpost in Semdinli came under a PKK attack with mortars, anti-aircraft fire and machine guns before dawn today. The army retaliated with artillery fire. 
 
Conflict between the autonomy-seeking PKK and the Turkish military flared up in July last year after the collapse of a ceasefire. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have since been killed in fighting across the region. 
 
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. 
 
(Reuters)

Thousands of militants and security forces have been killed since conflict between PKK and Turkish military flared up last year

Turkish fighter jets struck Kurdish militant targets in rural areas of Turkey's southeastern Hakkari province and northern Iraq on Friday, killing 12 militants, security sources said. Eight Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets near the southeastern town of Semdinli and seven others in northern Iraq, where the group's leadership is based, were hit in the air strikes, the sources said. Following intelligence gathered by drones, jets took off from Diyarbakir, the mainly Kurdish region's largest city, hitting shelters and groups of militants across territory where Turkey regularly carries out air strikes against the PKK. A military outpost in Semdinli came under a PKK attack with mortars, anti-aircraft fire and machine guns before dawn today. The army retaliated with artillery fire. Conflict between the autonomy-seeking PKK and the Turkish military flared up in July last year after the collapse of a ceasefire. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have since been killed in fighting across the region. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. (Reuters)

Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant targets in southeast Turkey, northern Iraq, kill 12

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