German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) has called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to release Kurdish prisoners.
“A sustainable peace will only be achieved when all Turkish citizens, including Kurdish women and men, can feel safe in their own country” the Green politician told the Funke Media Group newspapers (Monday editions). “Journalists, human rights defenders and politicians like Selahattin Demirtas are still imprisoned in Turkey. Erdogan should release them and recognize all ethnic and religious minorities.”
The PKK’s declaration of a ceasefire is a “chance for peace and reconciliation between Turks and Kurds”, according to Özdemir. “Whether it can be utilized depends on the Turkish state’s actions.