The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) declared an immediate ceasefire on Saturday after its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called for the group to lay down arms and disband. The move could mark a turning point in a conflict spanning four decades and claiming more than 40,000 lives.
Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999 and held largely in isolation, appealed on Thursday for the PKK to dissolve. Both President Tayyip Erdogan’s administration and the pro-Kurdish DEM party indicated support for ending the violence, which has centered on southeastern Turkey and spilled over into northern Iraq, where the PKK is currently based.
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In a statement carried by the Firat news agency, the PKK announced it would “implement” Ocalan’s call, effective immediately, so long as it is not attacked. The group urged Ankara to grant Ocalan greater freedom so he can “personally direct and run” the disarmament process. It also requested safe conditions for convening a congress that could formalize an end to hostilities.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and many Western allies, expressed willingness to dissolve. However, it insisted that any plan to relinquish weapons must be overseen by Ocalan himself, known to supporters as “Leader Apo.”
Speaking at an event in Istanbul marking the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, President Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the disarmament pledge but cautioned that Turkey’s military operations would continue unless the PKK’s commitment was genuine. “If the promises that are made are stalled, we cannot be blamed for what happens next,” he said, warning that cross-border threats and domestic counter-terror operations would carry on until “every last terrorist is eliminated.”
Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz wrote on X that fully dissolving the PKK, “without any negotiation,” would usher in a new era for the country.