Turkey: PM Davutoglu ridiculed for 'printing error' as Kurds peace process not in manifesto

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has been ridiculed after he blamed a "printing error" for the absence of any mention of a peace process with Kurdish rebels in the party's manifesto.

Kurdish people are Turkey's largest minority group and are estimated to number 14 million. Some Kurdish rebel groups have been engaged in an armed conflict with Turkish troops since the 1980s as they demand independence from Turkey and the creation of Kurdistan.

Kurdish rebel group Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), founded in 1978, is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

Davutoglu's Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been in power for 12 years, has long promised a peace process to end the conflict with the separatists. However, when presenting the party's manifesto for June's general election, Davutoglu said the pages regarding a peace process were missing.

"We noticed that some pages fell out when the manifesto was being sent to printer: one or two pages fell out," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

"But those pages will be added back and the manifesto will be reprinted," he added.

In 2013, Turkish officials and PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan reportedly agreed on a road map to end the three decades-long conflict between Turks and Kurds and secure the PKK's departure from Turkey.

Reports said that following peace talks, PKK had agreed to stop pursuing the creation of an independent state while Turkey had vowed to guarantee greater autonomy to Kurds.