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Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Abdullah Ocalan’s appeal for his outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to disband and disarm as a “historic opportunity.” This comes as senior members of Erdogan’s party called for the dissolution of PKK-affiliated groups in Iraq and Syria.
“We have a historic opportunity to move forward in achieving the goal of dismantling the wall of terror,” Erdogan stated on Friday, a day after the imprisoned PKK founder’s statement.
In a significant message from prison, Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress and decide to lay down arms and dissolve itself. The message, conveyed by officials from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party, is part of a new initiative to end a decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
The PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara and its Western allies, has waged a prolonged insurgency against the Turkish state.
The PKK’s leadership, based in northern Iraq, has yet to respond to Ocalan’s appeal.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkey would “closely monitor” negotiations to ensure the rebellion’s resolution is successful, warning against any “provocations.”
“When the threat of terrorism and arms is removed, the space for political democracy will naturally expand,” Erdogan said.
Earlier on Friday, Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, asserted that all groups linked to the PKK, including those outside Turkey, must comply with the call.
“Whether they are called PKK, YPG, or PYD, all extensions of the terrorist organization must dissolve themselves,” Celik stated, referring to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units and its political wing. “We mean the complete liquidation of the organization and its elements in Iraq and Syria.”
‘Ball is in the government’s court’
In Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—which includes the YPG—welcomed Ocalan’s call for disarmament as an “opportunity” to build peace and establish constructive relations in the region.
Mazloum Abdi, commander of the SDF, clarified that Ocalan’s call was directed at the PKK and had “no connection to our forces.”
Meanwhile, the DEM Party urged Erdogan’s government to take immediate steps toward democratization.
“The government must take responsibility and initiate steps for democratization now. This is our demand as citizens of this country,” said Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, deputy chair of the DEM Party’s parliamentary group.
“Now the ball is in the government’s court,” she added. “If there is no democratization and the government continues to ignore our fundamental freedoms, how can we live together and build our future?”
Turkey has lifted some restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language in recent decades, particularly since Erdogan’s AK Party came to power in 2002. However, critics argue that the state has not done enough to grant Kurds in Turkey greater rights.
The latest peace effort between the PKK and the Turkish state was initiated in October by Erdogan’s coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli. The far-right politician suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole if his group renounces violence and disbands.
Ocalan, 75, has been imprisoned on Imrali Island near Istanbul since 1999, following his conviction for treason. Despite his incarceration, he remains highly influential over the PKK, which he founded in 1978.
Previous peace efforts with the PKK have failed, most recently in 2015.
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