Germany welcomes Ocalan's call for the PKK to lay down arms, disband
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Germany said on Thursday that it welcomes the anticipated call from the leader and founder of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan for the group to lay down arms and dissolve itself.
A spokesperson for the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement that the German leader welcomes the move by Ocalan.
'The PKK is a banned terrorist organization in Germany, and its conflict has resulted in many casualties. Ocalan's request now finally creates an opportunity to overcome this violent struggle and achieve a permanent peaceful development in the Kurdish issue,' Scholz added.
Ocalan said in a letter, which was read out by the delegation that has visited him several times to mediate peace talks between Ankara and the PKK, that the PKK must convene and make a decision - 'all groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself.'
'This offers a historic opportunity to break the decades-long spiral of terror, violence, and retaliation that has cost the lives of tens of thousands of people,' the German foreign ministry said in a statement.
'An end to the violence is the important first step, but further steps are needed on the way to a viable solution for the people of Turkey. This includes, above all, respecting and guaranteeing the cultural and democratic rights of the Kurds in Turkey,' the ministry added.
It also said that Germany is ready to support the process.
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