US should hand over PKK terrorists unconditionally

The PKK, whose bloody 15-year fight in southeastern Anatolia claimed 30,000 lives in the past, is estimated to have 4,500-5,000 armed militants in bases in northern Iraq and has intensified attacks on civilian and government targets in southeastern Anatolia recently.

"These militants should be handed over to Turkey as soon as possible," Baykal stated and added, "This issue should be solved unconditionally, and without bargaining or negotiations."

Baykal underlined that Turkey needed to demand this attitude from the United States.

"If Turkey had al-Qaeda militants in Turkey, what might be the attitude of the United States?" he asked.

Clashes with the PKK have declined seriously following the capture of the group’s leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999 in Kenya. But sporadic fighting has continued since then.

‘Restructuring of Iraq should base on individuals’
"The new structure of Iraq should be based on individuals, not on a federation of ethnic or religion groups," said Baykal, addeing that they discussed the issue at the International Socialist meeting.

"There is an authority vacuum in Iraq and this situation is worrying everyone in the world," Baykal added.

Baykal said he conveyed the views of CHP to the delegates and defended that the United Nations should create an internationally legitimate environment regarding the issue.