ANKARA, Turkey, July 31 (UPI) -- Pro-Kurdish political leaders in Turkey have called on the government to move quickly on reconciliation plans to avoid possible bloodshed.
The Turkish government has moved to find a political solution to the so-called Kurdish question in the region following a defeat for the ruling Justice and Development Party at the hands of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, in municipal elections in March.
Ankara is considering a variety of measures meant to counter Kurdish aggression, while pro-Kurdish groups consider their own initiatives.
Hasip Kaplan, a deputy lawmaker in the DTP, called on Ankara to move quickly with its initiatives as critics and observers issue stark warnings about a possible public backlash or even bloodshed, Today's Zaman reports.
"I think the government should immediately take steps to implement these decisions," he said.
He urged the Turkish military to abstain from attacks on the Kurdish regions of Turkey, saying if the government were serious about reconciliation, violence should be avoided.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to offer details on his Kurdish reconciliation initiatives in the coming days. Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, is expected to announce his own framework Aug. 15.
