Turkey says progress on peace process with Kurds expected soon

Turkey's ruling party said on Friday that important statements over progress of the peace process with Kurds should be expected "in the coming days."

Besir Atalay, spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) made the remarks in an interview with Turkish NTV news channel.

Atalay, also deputy AKP chairman and the party's leading figure to oversee the peace process, said "there is a huge activity on the peace process recent weeks. The process is going on effectively."

Noting a key law adopted by the parliament last year that included a roadmap for the peace process, he said talks have been focusing on carrying out the road map, adding that "we have achieved a substantial progress on this sense."

Atalay also said that "a certain progress will be made before the parliamentary elections in June and this will make a significant contribution on the election."

However, the spokesman did not elaborate on the progress. He instead hinted the possibility for the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) to lay down arms, saying that the government will follow up after the disarmament and the end of violence.

Well-known Turkish columnist Abdulkadir Selvi said on Friday that in a meeting between Kurdish delegation and jailed PKK Abdullah Ocalan on earlier this month, Ocalan gave them a message of disarmament.

Turkish authorities began their peace negotiations with the PKK in October 2012, which led to a cease-fire in March 2013, but PKK fighters returned to their northern Iraq strongholds in May last year. Endit