Turkey's Erdogan: peace with Kurds 'impossible'

ANKARA, Turkey, July 28 (UPI) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday it was impossible to continue peace talks with Kurdish militants in Turkey.

In a brief address before he left Ankara for a state visit to Beijing, Erdogan said, "It is impossible for us to continue the peace process with those who threaten our national unity and brotherhood. Turkey has the strength to hold terrorists and so-called politicians accountable for the blood of our martyrs. Stepping back is out of the question."

As the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), regarded as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the United States, has grown in power and a with record number of parliamentary seats in a June election, Kurdish militants have attacked targets in Turkey. The Turkish government, which has recently stepped up its involvement against the Islamic State in neighboring Syria, officially makes no distinction between IS and the PKK.

Erdogan's government has begun a crackdown on groups, including the PKK, seeking an independent Kurdistan, with over 1,000 arrests in the past several days and airstrikes against PKK positions in Iraq. Kurdish lawmakers have condemned the government's actions against IS as a cover for a broader attack against the Kurds.

Turkey's growing involvement in fighting IS, and attempting to bring down the Syrian government of president Bashar al-Assad, has led to a Turkish recommendation of a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey. The zone would allow Turkey to attack PKK positions on the border.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, both within the country and in Syria and Iraq, has claimed over 40,000 victims since 1984.