Kurdish militants to attack dam sites, saying Turkey violated ceasefire

Kurdish militants will attack Turkey's dam construction sites in the mainly Kurdish southeast, the group said in a statement late on July 11, another blow to a fragile peace process meant to end a three-decade insurgency. 

The Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK), the Kurdish militants' umbrella political group, on July 11 issued a statement saying that Turkey's construction of military outposts, dams and roads for military purposes had violated the ceasefire. 

"The Turkish state took advantage of the ceasefire conditions not for a democratic political resolution but to gain an advantageous position in preparation of war by building dozens of guard posts, roads for military purposes and dams in order for a cultural genocide," the statement said. 

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) launched a separatist armed struggle in 1984 before moderating its goal to improving the rights of Turkey's roughly 12 million Kurds. 

President Tayyip Erdo?an, who has boosted Kurdish cultural rights during more than a decade in power, began peace talks with Öcalan in 2012, risking nationalist wrath. 

"The Kurdish movement has decided to not to accept this treatment any more, and to mobilise all means necessary, including the guerrilla forces, to stop the construction of all dams," it said. 

Coalition talks will start on July 13. A possible coalition with the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) would be likely to scupper a peace process with Turkey's Kurdish minority.