Turkey’s imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader says he is willing to work with authorities for peace

ISTANBUL (AP) — Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of Turkey’s banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has said that he is willing to contribute to peace between Turks and Kurds, according to the pro-Kurdish DEM party. In a statement issued by DEM Sunday, Ocalan said, “I possess the necessary competence and determination to contribute positively to the new paradigm supported by Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Erdoğan,“ referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his nationalist ally, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP. The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous state in Turkey’s southeast since 1984.  The group is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.