Erdogan says no room for talks with PKK terrorists

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey's operations against the PKK terror organisation will continue until the last weapon is silenced, dismissing any prospect of further talks with the group.

"There are no issues to be negotiated. The PKK terrorists can choose two paths. Either they surrender and accept the ruling delivered by the judiciary about them, or they are neutralised in the place where they are trapped. There is no third way left in Turkey. We tried that repeatedly in the past," Erdogan said in a speech to the Red Crescent humanitarian organisation.

"We said 'resolution process,' but they deceived us. No word from any of them can be trusted. We will finish everything and then we will achieve a southeast of serenity and prosperity," he continued.

"We will continue fighting until the last weapon is silenced."

Turkey has long been confronted with armed attacks in its eastern and southeastern regions by the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, the EU, and NATO.

The PKK, which was established in 1974 in Ankara, began launching terror attacks in 1984. Armed clashes and acts of violence have continued on and off for more than 30 years and claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Turkish security forces have killed at least 5,359 PKK terrorists in anti-terror operations which started in July after the group's umbrella organisation, the KCK, unilaterally ended a two and half year-long ceasefire on July 11 and threatened the country with further attacks.