Islam Times - Turkey’s Kobani stance may derail peace talks: PKK

Islam Times - A leader of Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has warned that the peace process with Ankara may collapse due the government’s policies regarding the situation in the Syrian town of Kobani.

On Saturday, Cemil Bayik, a senior PKK leader, blamed Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) party for the crisis in the Syrian border town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobani, which has been the scene of heavy fighting between Syrian Kurds and ISIL terrorists.

“The AK party is responsible for what is happening right now in Kobani and in Turkey,” said Bayik, warning that they will resume fighting with Turkey should Ankara refuses to change its stance.

“Because Turkey has continued to pursue its policies without any changes, we have sent back all our fighters that were pulled out of Turkey,” added the senior PKK figure.

Kurds in Turkey are angry at the government for preventing them from crossing into neighboring Syria to join the fight against ISIL terrorists.

Bayik echoed recent comments by the imprisoned PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who had warned earlier this month that negotiations with Ankara will come to an end if the ISIL Takfiri militants are allowed to carry out a massacre in Kobani.

Kobani and its surroundings have been under attack since mid-September, with ISIL militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages.

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIL forces have seized control of at least 40 percent of Kobani. However, local Kurdish officials say the Takfiri militants have captured a small part of the strategic border town.

Syrian Kurdish fighters have called on all Kurds across the region to take up arms against the ISIL militants.