TURKEY’S authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was accused of hypocrisy today for attacking the Washington Post’s publication of an article by a co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Government spokesman Ibrahim Kalin alleged that the opinion piece by Cemal Bayik, which called for peaceful dialogue, was “propaganda for terrorism and violates US laws.”

He claimed that the article did “not qualify as freedom of press and expression.”

But Ankara has vigorously attempted to crush free speech. Turkey has more journalists in its jails than any other country and hundreds of media organisations were shut by presidential decree under a state of emergency introduced after a failed coup in 2016.

Along with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, Mr Bayik was one of the five founders of the party in 1978.  A bounty of $4 million (£3.1m) was placed on his head by the United States last year, in what was seen as an attempt to appease Mr Erdogan’s government.

In Wednesday's Washington Post, Mr Bayik reaffirmed the PKK policy of seeking a peaceful settlement to Turkey’s so-called Kurdish question.

“We once again declare that we are committed to negotiating a political solution of the Kurdish question within Turkey’s borders,” he said.

Mr Bayik was clear that any discussions must include Mr Ocalan, “our lead negotiator.” He added that, “to ensure a lasting ceasefire,” the isolation of Mr Ocalan must end.

He said Turkey could play a decisive role in bringing about peace and democracy in the Middle East by solving the Kurdish question.

But, while Ankara refuses to do this, Mr Bayik said the PKK would “continue to strive for the democratisation of the Middle East through the democratisation of Turkey.”

Instead of welcoming the peace initiative, Ankara hit out at the Washington Post, with Turkey's ambassador to the US Serdar Kilic condemning the newspaper for “opening its pages to one of PKK’s bloodthirsty leaders.”

Critics pointed out the hypocrisy, highlighting Mr Erdogan’s overtures to Istanbul’s Kurdish voters before the re-run of the city’s mayoral election last month.

Mr Erdogan advised Kurds to listen to Mr Ocalan, claiming that a letter from the PKK leader had said they should remain neutral in the poll. However, thousands have been jailed on terrorism charges for repeating Mr Ocalan’s words in the past.

Fears grew of a return to widespread protests in Turkish prisons yesterday after Irfan Kilic set himself on fire in Kandira prison.

He left a note saying that his suicide was a protest against the Turkish occupation of northern Iraq and Mr Ocalan’s continued isolation.