A second press conference took place on 19 March, where Kemal Burkay, a Kurdish politician from Turkey, signed an agreement with Öcalan, mentioning their support for the peace initiative.[1] No positive response towards the ceasefire was recorded by the Government of Turkey. To the contrary, further attacks on the Kurdish rural population followed the ceasefire announcement and an oppression of the politicians of the People's Labor Party (HEP) intensified[1] and as Newroz was celebrated on 21 March 1993, Alparslan Turkeş and Erdal Inönü, the party leaders of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) assisted a reunion of Turkic people from the Soviet Union.[2] Then Süleyman Demirel, the prime minister of Turkey at the time, also refused to negotiate with the PKK in a statement released on the 23 March 1993.[6]