Turkey: No cease-fire with Kurd party

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Security officials in Turkey say they will ignore a one-month cease-fire announced by an outlawed group and will continue to fight terrorism.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish acronym PKK, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. It has declared a cease-fire until Sept. 20, a week after a referendum on constitutional reform will take place in Turkey, Hurriyet Daily News reported Friday.

After a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday, the National Security Council issued a written statement.

"We have emphasized the strong belief that our nation will continue to behave with common sense and not allow the (PKK) to attain their wicked objectives by bringing disorder, by weakening the unity of the people or by damaging social peace," the statement said.

The announced cease-fire was seen as part of a larger bargaining strategy between the government and pro-Kurdish politicians who announced they would back the constitutional referendum if certain conditions were met.

A PKK leader, Murat Karayılan, said the group has started negotiations with the ruling Justice and Development Party and that this is why they announced a cease-fire, but government sources were quick to deny this, Hurriyet reported.