PKK not terrorists, Barzani says

ERBIL, Iraq, June 23 (UPI) -- The Kurdistan Workers' Party in northern Iraq should be considered a terrorist organization only if it refuses political dialogue, the Kurdish president said. Massoud Barzani told the Italian news agency Il Tempo the Kurdistan Regional Government would only classify the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a terrorist entity if it refused to meet with Turkish officials in a political setting. An international moderator is needed to broker a deal between Turkey and Iraq regarding the PKK because "terrorism and radicalism knows no bounds," he said, adding Kurds would favor a political resolution over a military solution. He warned Turkey, however, against entering Kurdish territory in pursuit of PKK rebels because "that would be a gamble which could lead to a region-wide crisis," the Turkish daily... [read full story]