Turkish Protests Enhance Kurdish Peace Process in Common Demand for Democracy [BLOG]

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Ibtimes.co.uk, By: Emanuela Pergolizzi, 06/27/2013

Turkish Kurdish people hold pictures of their relatives who were killed in clashes between Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) guerrillas and Turkish security forces (Reuters)

It took little more than two weeks, a dozen bulldozers and 130,000 tear gas canisters to smash Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's hard-earned international reputation. The Gezi Park demonstrations, which mushroomed into nationwide protests against Erdogan's authoritarian style, have also cast a long shadow over the relationship between Turkey and the EU, with membership talks postponed until October this year.

 

However, the Turkish-Kurdish peace process seems to has survived intact despite the demonstrations - and the Turkish police's harsh reaction to them. "Despite the obstacles I am determined to advance this process and I believe that we will be successful," said jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.

 

For more on this story visit http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/483927/20130627/turkish-protests-enhance-kurdish-peace-process-common.htm

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