Kurdish militants, previously classified as outlaws, have announced a ceasefire with Turkey following a significant appeal from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who urged the group to disband and bring an end to over 40 years of armed conflict.
This marks the first response from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) since Ocalan’s call earlier this week for the group’s dissolution and the laying down of arms.
“To facilitate the realization of leader Apo’s call for peace and a democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective immediately,” stated the PKK executive committee, referencing Ocalan, as reported by the pro-PKK ANF news agency.
“We concur with the essence of this call as it stands, and we commit to its following and implementation,” the committee, which operates out of northern Iraq, declared.
Kurds in southeastern Turkey react after the PKK leader called on the group to disarm and dissolve
Designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, the PKK has engaged in an insurgency since 1984 with the goal of establishing a homeland for Kurds, who represent nearly 20% of Turkey’s 85 million citizens.
Recently, however, the group has shifted its focus toward seeking increased autonomy and cultural and linguistic rights instead of outright independence.
Various efforts to halt the violence, which has resulted in more than 40,000 fatalities, have been made since Ocalan’s imprisonment in 1999.
Following several meetings with Ocalan at his prison on the island, the pro-Kurdish DEM party conveyed his plea for the PKK to disarm and assemble a congress to officially announce its dissolution.
The PKK expressed its readiness to convene a congress as Ocalan requested but stressed that “a suitable secure environment must be established” for this to occur, and Ocalan “must personally guide and lead it for the congress’ success.”
‘More stable Syria’
Moreover, the group emphasized the necessity of improving Ocalan’s prison conditions, asserting he “must be able to live and work in physical freedom and establish unrestricted relationships with anyone he wishes.”
Experts indicated that reaching a truce with the PKK could be advantageous for both Turkey and Syria, particularly after Bashar al-Assad’s regime was expelled late last year after a protracted civil war.
“A peace agreement with the PKK is likely to facilitate the reunification and establish a more stable Syria,” stated Anthony Skinner, director of research at Marlow Global, in comments to AFP.
“This is a central aim for the Turkish government, which is grappling with ongoing challenges like border cross-migration and terrorism,” he added.
Syrian Kurds demonstrate in 2021 against the Turkish offensive on PKK areas in northern Iraq
The Turkish military, which maintains a presence in northern Syria, routinely conducts strikes on areas controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces deemed “terrorists” associated with the PKK.
Bayram Balci, an analyst at Sciences Po Paris, remarked that the PKK is acutely aware of its waning support as the regional landscape evolves.
“It no longer enjoys Assad’s backing, and its support from the Americans has diminished,” he noted.
“The threat from Daesh [IS] is still present, but it is not as formidable as before. There’s also a pronounced sense of fatigue,” he added, referring to the IS group.
‘Historic opportunity’
Since the last peace negotiations broke down in 2015, there has been no further communication with the PKK until October, when a hardline nationalist ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made an unexpected peace overture, conditioned on Ocalan renouncing violence.
Mr. Erdoğan referred to Ocalan’s appeal as a “historic opportunity,” asserting that Turkey would “monitor closely” to ensure that the discussions aimed at resolving the insurgency were “successfully concluded.”
While Mr. Erdoğan endorsed the warming of relations, his administration intensified pressure on opposition figures, detaining hundreds of politicians, activists, and journalists.
Iraq has welcomed Ocalan’s statement, characterizing it as “a positive and important step towards regional stability.”
The PKK’s presence in Iraq has consistently strained relations between the Iraqi and Turkish governments.
The group occupies positions within Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, where Turkey also operates military bases and frequently conducts ground and air operations against the Kurdish militants.
