Turkey's 'Wise Men' Call For 'Silencing Of Weapons'

The group overseeing Turkey's "solution process" to bring an end to the Kurdish conflict on Saturday called for a "silencing of weapons" following an escalation of violence over the past two weeks.



"Arms must be silenced immediately and an absolute conflict-free environment must be achieved," the committee said in a statement following a meeting attended by 11 members in Istanbul.



Talks between the government and the PKK - designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and U.S. - officially began in 2013 in an attempt to the 30-year conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives.



The process stalled as violence broke out across Turkey following the Suruc bombing on July 20 in which 32 activists were killed. More than 20 members of the security forces have since been killed in attacks attributed to the PKK and Turkish airstrikes have targeted PKK bases in northern Iraq.



Known as the "wise men", the 63-strong group of writers, columnists and academics from across Turkey are charged with promoting negotiations between the government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and explaining developments to the public. - Ankara