The long drawn Kurd-Turkey clash is finally seeing a breakthrough. Jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan has now called for the dissolution of the armed group signalling a potential shift in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state.
In a statement conveyed by Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), Ocalan requested the PKK to convene a congress and decide on laying down arms, calling for a new “epoch of peace” and a “democratic society.”
PKK and Erdogan Compromise
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement which historically operated throughout Kurdistan but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. The primary motive of the organization is to fight for the rights of the Kurd community while seeking autonomy.
PKK leader Ocalan has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island, Turkey since 1999 on charges of treason. He has long been regarded as the most influential figure within the PKK.
His call comes amid a possible political amendment in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lacks the parliamentary majority which is required to amend the constitution in order to allow Erdogan to run for a 3rd term in 2028.
Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key ally of Erdogan, suggested previously that Ocalan could be granted parole if the PKK renounces violence.
Since December, Ocalan has been visited twice by DEM lawmakers in jail. The DEM or the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party is a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey fighting for Kurdish interests in a political way. It seems they have managed to convince Ocalan to find some common ground with Erdogan.
Efkan Ala, the chairman of Erodogan’s AKP Party has welcomed the statement and stressed that the government expects the PKK to comply with Ocalan’s call. He described the move as an important step that could “free Turkey from its shackles.”
Response to the Call
In response to the call by Oclan the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has declared that it has decided to issue a ceasefire in its years-long conflict with the Turkish state.
“In order to pave the way for the implementation of leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective from today,” the statement quoted by the ANF news agency said, referring to Ocalan. “We agree with the content of the call as it is and we say that we will follow and implement it,”
According to a statement cited by a news agency affiliated with the group, the PKK expressed hope that Ankara would release Ocalan so he could oversee the disarmament process.
The statement, as quoted by the ANF news agency, emphasized the group’s commitment to following and implementing Ocalan’s appeal. It also stated that hostilities would cease immediately unless the group was attacked.
The threat of PKK
The Kurds are an Iranic ethnic group that has its populace spread across Western Asia. They are the second largest ethnic populace in Tyrkey and have been demanding their autonmous state and rights over the years as they belive ethey are opressed by the Turkish state . Turkey began a forced assimilation program on the Kurds in the 1980’s resulting in the rise of defensive militant movements like the PKK.
The conflict has claimed an estimated 40,000 lives. Initially, PKK was formed to establish an independent Kurdish state. However, over time, the PKK shifted its focus toward autonomy and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey.
The group still carries out attacks on what it sees as the opressive Turkish state. In October 2024, PKK targeted a Turkish defence facility killing five people and injuring 22. Hence, if PKK follows what Ocalan has requested, major violence in the country will stop.
Turkey designates the PKK as a terrorist organization. This is the same case with the United States and the European Union. Ankara has also demanded the dissolution of the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG), which is the main component of the SDF in Syria. Turkey views it as an extension of the PKK.
Ocalan’s request for disbanding the group suggests two things: Either the conditions for Kurdish rights in Turkey have improved (with the state no longer denying Kurdish identity to the extent it did in the past), or the political pressure on Ocalan is high. He understands the increased importance in the backdrop of Turkey’s constitutional amendment, which Erdogan desperately requires. However, critics argue that a good amount of restrictions on Kurdish political and cultural expression persist in Turkish society.
The development also comes at a critical time for Erdogan. Erdogan has to amend the constitution in order to remain in power. For the amendment, Erdogan must depend on the DEM Party’s support. If successful, the peace initiative could reshape Turkish politics. It may also redefine Turkey’s engagement with Kurds in Iraq and Syria and ease long-standing security concerns. However, its effect on the common Kurdish people can not be manifested. One has to wait to understand the actual effect of the peace deal.
International Response
Ocalan’s statement has been met with cautious optimism both domestically and internationally. The German Foreign Ministry called it as a “historic chance” to end the long-running conflict/insurgency. He also emphasized the need for Turkey to respect and guarantee the cultural and democratic rights of Kurds.
Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, welcomed the call and urged the PKK to follow through with Ocalan’s appeal. Similarly, Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), described the call as “historic” but clarified that it pertains solely to the PKK and not to Kurdish groups in Syria.
The United States also expressed support for Ocalan’s statement, by saying that an end to PKK-led violence could ease Turkey’s concerns over US backing for Kurdish forces in Syria. A White House National Security Council spokesman noted that the development could contribute to broader regional stability and help alleviate tensions between Washington and Ankara over US support for the SDF.
As the leadership of the PKK have responded positively to Ocalan’s appeal, his statement has been the most serious and latest effort within almost a decade to restart attempts at peace negotiations. Analysts indicate that in case of action, the development would be among the most path breaking events in West Asian politics in recent decades. It has the capacity to reshape Turkey’s internal dynamics and reimagine the future of the Kurdish people at large.
