The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has declared a ceasefire with Turkey and responded positively to the disarmament call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan. The PKK-affiliated news agency Firat (ANF) reported this development, marking a significant step toward ending a 40-year conflict with the Turkish state, according to Al Jazeera.
In a statement, the PKK’s executive committee announced, “To pave the way for the implementation of our leader Öcalan’s call for peace and a democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire from today.”
The group affirmed its agreement with Öcalan’s call and pledged to follow and implement it. They also stated that their forces would not take armed action unless attacked.
The PKK expressed hope that Ankara would release Öcalan so he could lead the disarmament process. On Thursday, Öcalan, from his prison cell, made a historic appeal to his organization to lay down arms, dissolve the group, and end the long-standing struggle against Turkey.
The 75-year-old Öcalan has been imprisoned on İmralı Island in Istanbul since 1999 on charges of treason. Despite his imprisonment, he has maintained significant influence over the PKK.
A day after Öcalan’s announcement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed it as a historic opportunity and assured that his government would closely monitor the negotiations to ensure a successful outcome.
Erdoğan stated, “When the pressure of terrorism and arms is lifted, the political space in a democratic system will naturally expand.”
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, aiming to establish an independent state for the Kurds. Kurds make up about 20% of Turkey’s 85 million population.