PKK declares cease-fire for Eid al-Adha

BAGHDAD, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, commenced a cease-fire Monday in an effort to enter into negotiations with the government of Turkey.

PKK officials said they were marking the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha Monday with a nine-day cease-fire against Turkish forces, the daily Voices of Iraq reported.

"But if Turkish forces attack us, we will defend ourselves," said Ahmed Daneez with the PKK.

Meanwhile, officials representing the Kurdish Peshmerga militia said they would meet with Iraqi government officials after Eid al-Adha celebrations to discuss bilateral relations.

Relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and the central government in Baghdad soured following a Nov. 20 speech in which Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed the KRG for violating the constitution by moving unilaterally on several fronts.

He also criticized the Peshmerga for operating outside its prescribed territory. A skirmish erupted during the summer between Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi military troops over authority in the city of Khanaqin in the north of Diyala province.