PKK leader unexpectedly calls for laying down arms, ending conflict with Türkiye

Al-Jazeera reported that the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan called for the group to lay down its arms, disband and end its conflict with the Turkish state.

The PKK is considered a "terrorist organization" by Türkiye, the United States, Canada, Australia and European Union (EU) countries.

Supporters hold up a picture of Abdullah Ocalan in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir on February 27 after he called on the PKK to lay down its arms.

Ocalan's appeal came after a delegation from Türkiye's pro-Kurdish People's Democracy and Equality Party (DEM) visited Imrali Island on February 27, where Ocalan, 75, is serving a life sentence. The delegation later announced Ocalan's message in Istanbul.

In the letter, Mr. Ocalan wrote: "I call for the laying down of arms and I accept historical responsibility for this. Convene the party congress and make a decision. All groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must be dissolved."

This is the first time the PKK leader has called for the group to be dissolved. Mr. Ocalan explained that the PKK was founded during a period when the state restricted Kurdish rights, but now Kurdish identity is no longer denied and there have been improvements in freedom of expression.

The deputy head of the ruling AK Party, Efkan Ala, said Türkiye would be "freed from its shackles" if the PKK agreed to lay down its arms and disband. He expected the PKK to heed Mr Ocalan's call.

Galip Dalay, a researcher at the UK-based Chatham House think tank, said the move, if successful, would be one of the most transformative events ever to take place in the Middle East. It could change Turkish politics as well as its relationship with Kurdish groups in the region.

What organization is PKK?

The PKK was founded in 1984 to fight the Turkish state and establish a separate Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye. The group has since officially abandoned its separatist aims but has called for greater autonomy.

The group and Türkiye have been in frequent armed conflict for more than four decades. In October 2024, the PKK claimed responsibility for an attack on a state-owned arms company near Ankara that killed at least five people and injured 22.

The PKK is also linked to other Kurdish groups in Iran, Iraq and Syria. The YPG, the Kurdish group that forms the core of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, is considered part of the PKK. The SDF is a partner of the United States, an ally of Türkiye, in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Mr. Ocalan was one of the founding members of the PKK. He was imprisoned in 1999 on Imrali Island for treason. Despite his imprisonment, he still holds great influence over the PKK and the organization's leadership is believed to be heeding his call, according to Al-Jazeera.

The call is part of a peace dialogue process between the PKK and the Turkish state from October 2024 initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's coalition partner Devlet Bahceli. Bahceli has suggested that Ocalan could be pardoned if the PKK abandons its violent path and disbands.

In 2015, a ceasefire between the PKK and Türkiye collapsed, leading to the government restarting attacks on the group across northern Iraq.

Reaction of the parties

The head of the Kurdish autonomous administration in northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, welcomed Mr Ocalan's decision. Meanwhile, the head of the SDF in Syria, Mazloum Abdi, said Mr Ocalan's statement was historic but "has nothing to do with us in Syria".

In the US, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes welcomed Ocalan's call and hoped it would appease Türkiye about the SDF, America's anti-IS partner in Syria.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry also issued a statement welcoming Mr. Ocalan's positive and important actions to achieve stability in the region.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-linh-pkk-bat-ngo-keu-goi-buong-vu-khi-ngung-xung-dot-voi-tho-nhi-ky-185250228103518886.htm