Kurdish advocates in Turkey back talks

ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The leader of a pro-Kurdish party in Turkey with ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party said Tuesday differences with Ankara were political.

Ahmet Turk, the acting head of the Turkish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, condemned the ruling Justice and Development Party, saying any issues between Ankara and Kurds could be settled through the political process, the Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet reported.

"The Kurdish issue is a political problem, and its solution is possible only by political means," he said.

The pro-Kurdish DTP is widely seen as a supporter of the militant PKK. Several DTP lawmakers had faced charges in Turkey for supporting the group, considered a terrorist organization by many nations, including the United States.

Weekend protests in the Kurdish areas of Turkey left one dead amid claims that imprisoned PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan was abused in prison.

The demonstrations, organized by DTP, featured protesters chanting slogans advocating the PKK and Ocalan amid widespread police pressure.

Officials in the eastern city of Agri issued a statement condemning the protests that left several police officers injured.

"We consider that the incident is a provocation, given the fact that four bullets hit an armored police vehicle on the same street (where the protester died)," the statement said.