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Iran denies helping PKK stay in Turkey

Iran Materials 30 April 2013 16:27 (UTC +04:00)
Iran has dismissed reports that it helps the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to stay in Turkey, IRNA reported.
Iran denies helping PKK stay in Turkey

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 30 /Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/

Iran has dismissed reports that it helps the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to stay in Turkey, IRNA reported.

According to previous reports from Turkish newspaper Milliyet, Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force allegedly met with senior PKK leader Murat Karayilan and tried to convince him not to withdraw from Turkey by offering military and logistical assistance. The offer however was declined, according to Milliyet.

The PKK is recognised as a terrorist organization by the UN and the European Union.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK over the creation of an independent Kurdish state has continued for more than 25 years and claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The withdrawal of the PKK has been a top issue on the Turkish agenda for the last few months.

Iran's ambassador to Turkey, Ali-Reza Bigdeli sent a letter to the chief director of the Milliyet newspaper regarding the PKK issue, and rejected the allegation that Iran has been trying to encourage PKK to stay.

In his letter, the ambassador said that "this sort of information is baseless, and intends to damage the relations between Iran and Turkey".

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