ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that promises on PKK disarmament and the abandonment of a "violence culture" must be fulfilled for the country's solution process on the Kurdish issue to succeed.
"I want to make a call: pose no more obstacles to the solution process for this or that psychological reason," he told a parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development, or AK Party, on Monday.
The solution process officially began in 2013 to end the decades-old conflict with the outlawed PKK.
Davutoglu’s remarks followed the historic move by PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan who invited the outlawed group to hold a congress in Spring this year to make a historic decision on the issue of laying down arms.
The call for disarmament was announced Saturday by Sirri Sureyya Onder, a member of parliament for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party. HDP lawmakers and government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, had met at the Prime Ministry Office in Istanbul.
A delegation from the HDP had also travelled to Imrali Island in Marmara Sea off Bursa province on Friday to speak with the imprisoned Ocalan.
Davutoglu emphasized that all related parties must use the "language of peace and brotherhood."
"But I also assure you that we will make no concession in public order in case of any attempt to return weapons to the stage in other ways," he added.
The premier described the new stage as a "day of trial" for Turkish opposition parties, and called on them to act so as to claim and protect the solution process.
"Hug and embrace all without any indiscrimination, and do not try to politically abuse the solution process," he added.
Davutoglu also said that the pro-Kurdish HDP should be sincere and speak as one voice regarding the solution process.
"If they keep on making inconsistent remarks and using the language of violence, they will lose," he said.
He further called on all Turkish people to embrace each other as sisters and brothers and be aware that Turkey walks towards June 7 general elections "hand-in-hand for the sake of peace."
The PKK has fought for an independent Kurdish state since 1984, and its terrorist attacks have claimed around 36,000 lives in Turkey.
Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.
