Kurdish rebels reject calls to lay down arms; say Turkey must take democratic steps first
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kurdish rebels have rejected a call for them to lay down their arms, saying Turkey's government must first take steps to advance democracy and withdraw a controversial security bill being debated in Parliament.
The rebel statement Sunday on the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency came in response to a call by imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan asking his Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, to convene a congress in the spring to decide to end its armed struggle.
The rebel group said it had already implemented a cease-fire as part of the efforts to end the 30-year bloody insurgency. It said the Turkish government must show its "sincerity" by abandoning the bill that would increase police powers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Kurdish insurgency has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people since 1984.