Iran Denies Arrest of Turkey's Outlawed PKK Member

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 08, 2002

Iran Denies Arrest of Turkey's Outlawed PKK Member

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Iran on Sunday denied reports by Turkish media on the arrest of a leading member of the Turkish outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), dismissing them as " baseless," the official IRNA news agency said.

Spokesman of Iran's Interior Ministry Jahanbakhsh Khanjani was quoted by IRNA as saying that the reports are for propaganda purposes and Tehran has asked Ankara for documentary evidence on the case.

Turkey's private NTV television has recently reported that Cemil Bayik, a senior PKK figure, had been detained in Iran.

Turkey's Ambassador to Iran Selahattin Alpar was quoted as telling Turkey's Anatolia news agency that Turkey has accordingly requested the extradition of Bayik.

Khanjani said that Iran and Turkey have adequate security agreements and the reports on the arrest of PKK members could be discussed in joint security meetings.

The two sides will exchange views on security issues in the upcoming Iran-Turkey High Security Commission, he added.

The PKK, led by Abdullah Ocalan who was arrested in 1999 and is currently on death row in prison, has fought a prolonged war for autonomy in southeast Turkey.

Some 37,000 people, mostly Kurdish rebels and civilians, have died in the fighting with the Turkish government since 1984.

After his capture, Ocalan called on PKK fighters to end their armed struggle. Most of PKK fighters have since crossed the borders into Iran or Iraq.

Turkey says that the PKK rebels are terrorists and the government has won support from the United States to add the group to its list of terrorist organizations.

Questions?Comments? Click here

/TD>