Talabani suggests PKK amnesty

ERBIL, Iraq, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Amnesty may be offered as an incentive to persuade the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, to lay down its weapons, the Iraqi president said.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, was in the northern Kurdish regions of Iraq on talks aimed at resolving several regional disputes, including the status of Kirkuk and issues stemming from PKK activity.

The PKK is a separatist group operating in parts of northern Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria. It is classified as a terrorist group by several nations, including the United States.

Talabani said a peaceful resolution to the conflict with PKK rebels was a viable solution for all parties involved in the conflict, Turkish daily Today's Zaman said.

"A peaceful resolution is the only way," he said in statements carried by CNN Turk. "Putting an end to violence and putting an end to the armed struggle within Turkish territory is for the good of everybody, including the Kurds."

The PKK had offered a unilateral cease-fire during the December holy celebrations of Eid al-Adha, saying it wished to negotiate with Turkish mediators.

The U.S. military in Iraq has assisted the Turkish government by providing intelligence on PKK activity in Iraq.