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U.S. State Department: We Are Determined to Eliminate PKK-KADEK

Washington D.C., USA, September 04, 2003 - The U.S. Administration has reacted to
threats by the Kurdish Workers Party - Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress
(PKK-KADEK) to end their ceasefire and called on the militants to heed the message of
the "Homecoming" amnesty law, or face destruction.

In a statement to Zaman yesterday, a State Department official said, "Our attitude on
the subject is clear. We consider the PKK-KADEK to be a terrorist organization because
of their terrorist activities. We suggest that other countries isolate the group by
adopting a similar attitude."

The official added that his government did not find KADEK's threat to end the
ceasefire surprising, and stated, "They have engaged in violent acts during so-called
ceasefire times before. They have used Iraqi territory as a base for terror. The U.S.
is determined to wipe out all terror havens including the PKK-KADEK in Iraq, and we
will fulfil our commitment."

The official did not give any details regarding a timeframe but said that
communication between the Turkish and U.S. governments is constant and the two
governments are cooperating closely.

The U.S. official reminded that the amnesty law recently enacted by the Turkish
government gives PKK-KADEK militants a chance to end their terrorist activities. He
suggested that members of the organization take advantage of this opportunity.

The PKK-KADEK had announced that its alleged five-year ceasefire ended as of September
1st. High-ranking commanders in the illegal organization had stated that armed
counterattacks in response to increased operations would resume.