The Turkish government has blocked a press conference which was to be held in Belgium by the Kurdish organisation KONGRA-GEL on Friday (26th Aug 2005) in which the KONGRA-GEL was to announce a temporary cease fire as an answer to the peace calls by intellectuals in Turkey. The Belgian authorities stopped the press conference after a request from Turkey.

However, the KONGRA-GEL announced that the successful sabotage of the press conference by the Turkish government would not stop them from persuading HPG (People’s Defence Forces) to declare a temporary cease fire from 1st of September to 1st of October. Experts believe that the Turkish government will increase their military operations during these 30 days in order to also sabotage the cease fire.

It will be the fourth unilateral cease fire declared by the PKK/KONGRA-GEL since the outbreak of the war in 1984.

The Turkish government has never answered their calls.