"There is a need to restart the Kurdish peace process. The European Union recognizes that PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] is a terrorist organization, but there is a need to re-engage from the Turkish authorities’ side with the Kurdish political representatives and the ones that express their position in a peaceful way," Mogherini told reporters.
"We are working together with Turkey also as a candidate country. There is a need to restart the Kurdish peace process. The European Union recognizes that the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] is a terrorist organization, but there is a need to reengage from the Turkish authorities’ side with the Kurdish political representatives, with the ones that express their position in the peaceful way… We believe it’s a priority. We will discuss this with Prime Minister [Ahmet] Davutoglu," Federica Mogherini said.
Ankara is conducting a special operation to suppress the PKK, which has been fighting for independence of Kurdish territories from Ankara since 1984. The group, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization, seeks to create a Kurdish state in parts of Turkey and Iraq.
Brussels has long called on Ankara to renew the settlement process suspended last summer after a series of murders of Turkish soldiers.
