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News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Ocalan: founder of the Kurdish militant PKK who authored its end
Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), is an icon to many Kurds but a "terrorist" to many within wider Turkish society. After a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the PKK said on Monday it was disbanding and ending its armed struggle. The move came after Ocalan issued a historic call on February 27 for his fighters to lay down their arms in a major step towards ending the decades-long conflict. Now 76, Ocalan has been held in solitary confinement since 1999 on Imrali prison island near Istanbul. But since October, when Turkey tentatively moved to reset ties with the PKK, Ocalan has been visited several times by lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish opposition DEM party. For many Turks, the PKK leader is public enemy number one. He founded the group in 1978. Six years later, it began an insurgency demanding independence and later broader autonomy in Turkey's mostly Kurdish southeast. A Marxist-inspired group, the PKK was blacklisted as a "terror" organisation by Ankara, Washington, Brussels and many other Western countries. - An olive branch - Attitudes began shifting in October when ultra-nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, offered Ocalan an olive branch if he would publicly renounce violence. The next day, the former guerrilla, who embodies the decades-long Kurdish rebellion, received his first family visit in four years. He sent back a message saying he alone could shift the Kurdish question "from an arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics", later offering assurances he was "ready to... make the call". Ankara's move came shortly before Syrian rebels overthrew ruler Bashar al-Assad, upending the regional balance of power and thrusting Turkey's complex relationship with the Kurds into the spotlight. - From village life to militancy - Ocalan was born on April 4, 1949, one of six siblings in a mixed Turkish-Kurdish peasant family in Omerli, a village in Turkey's southeast. His mother tongue is Turkish. He became a left-wing activist while studying politics at university in Ankara and was first jailed in 1972. He set up the PKK six years later, then spent years on the run, launching the movement's armed struggle in 1984. Taking refuge in Syria, he led the fight from there, causing friction between Damascus and Ankara. Forced out in 1998, he moved from Russia to Italy to Greece in search of a haven, ending up at the Greek consulate in Kenya, where US agents got wind of his presence and tipped off Turkey. He was arrested on February 15, 1999, after being lured into a vehicle in a Hollywood-style operation by Turkish security forces. Sentenced to death, he escaped the gallows when Turkey started abolishing capital punishment in 2002, living out the rest of his days in isolation on Imrali prison island in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul. For many Kurds, he is a hero whom they refer to as "Apo" (uncle). But Turks often call him "bebek katili" (baby killer) for ruthless tactics that include the bombing of civilian targets. - Jailed but still leading - With Ocalan's arrest, Ankara thought it had decapitated the PKK. But even from his cell he continued to lead, ordering a ceasefire that lasted from 1999 until 2004. In 2005, he ordered followers to renounce the idea of an independent Kurdish state and campaign for autonomy in their respective countries. Tentative moves to resolve Turkey's "Kurdish problem" began in 2008 and several years later Ocalan became involved in the first unofficial peace talks, when Erdogan was prime minister. Led by then spy chief Hakan Fidan -- who is now foreign minister -- the talks raised Kurdish hopes for a solution with their future within Turkey's borders. But the effort collapsed in July 2015, sparking one of the deadliest chapters in the conflict. The government has defended its de facto silencing of Ocalan, saying he failed to convince the PKK of the need for peace. Seen as the world's largest stateless people, Kurds were left without a country when the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I. Although most live in Turkey, where they make up around a fifth of the population, the Kurds are also spread across Syria, Iraq and Iran. Turkey's widescale use of combat drones has pushed most Kurdish fighters into northern Syria and Iraq, where Ankara has continued its raids. bur-hmw/gil
France 24
12-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Ocalan: founder of the Kurdish militant PKK who authored its end
After a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the PKK said on Monday it was disbanding and ending its armed struggle. The move came after Ocalan issued a historic call on February 27 for his fighters to lay down their arms in a major step towards ending the decades-long conflict. Now 76, Ocalan has been held in solitary confinement since 1999 on Imrali prison island near Istanbul. But since October, when Turkey tentatively moved to reset ties with the PKK, Ocalan has been visited several times by lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish opposition DEM party. For many Turks, the PKK leader is public enemy number one. He founded the group in 1978. Six years later, it began an insurgency demanding independence and later broader autonomy in Turkey's mostly Kurdish southeast. A Marxist-inspired group, the PKK was blacklisted as a "terror" organisation by Ankara, Washington, Brussels and many other Western countries. An olive branch Attitudes began shifting in October when ultra-nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, offered Ocalan an olive branch if he would publicly renounce violence. The next day, the former guerrilla, who embodies the decades-long Kurdish rebellion, received his first family visit in four years. He sent back a message saying he alone could shift the Kurdish question "from an arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics", later offering assurances he was "ready to... make the call". Ankara's move came shortly before Syrian rebels overthrew ruler Bashar al-Assad, upending the regional balance of power and thrusting Turkey's complex relationship with the Kurds into the spotlight. From village life to militancy Ocalan was born on April 4, 1949, one of six siblings in a mixed Turkish-Kurdish peasant family in Omerli, a village in Turkey's southeast. His mother tongue is Turkish. He became a left-wing activist while studying politics at university in Ankara and was first jailed in 1972. He set up the PKK six years later, then spent years on the run, launching the movement's armed struggle in 1984. Taking refuge in Syria, he led the fight from there, causing friction between Damascus and Ankara. Forced out in 1998, he moved from Russia to Italy to Greece in search of a haven, ending up at the Greek consulate in Kenya, where US agents got wind of his presence and tipped off Turkey. He was arrested on February 15, 1999, after being lured into a vehicle in a Hollywood-style operation by Turkish security forces. Sentenced to death, he escaped the gallows when Turkey started abolishing capital punishment in 2002, living out the rest of his days in isolation on Imrali prison island in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul. For many Kurds, he is a hero whom they refer to as "Apo" (uncle). But Turks often call him "bebek katili" (baby killer) for ruthless tactics that include the bombing of civilian targets. Jailed but still leading With Ocalan's arrest, Ankara thought it had decapitated the PKK. But even from his cell he continued to lead, ordering a ceasefire that lasted from 1999 until 2004. In 2005, he ordered followers to renounce the idea of an independent Kurdish state and campaign for autonomy in their respective countries. Tentative moves to resolve Turkey's "Kurdish problem" began in 2008 and several years later Ocalan became involved in the first unofficial peace talks, when Erdogan was prime minister. Led by then spy chief Hakan Fidan -- who is now foreign minister -- the talks raised Kurdish hopes for a solution with their future within Turkey's borders. But the effort collapsed in July 2015, sparking one of the deadliest chapters in the conflict. The government has defended its de facto silencing of Ocalan, saying he failed to convince the PKK of the need for peace. Seen as the world's largest stateless people, Kurds were left without a country when the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I. Although most live in Turkey, where they make up around a fifth of the population, the Kurds are also spread across Syria, Iraq and Iran. Turkey's widescale use of combat drones has pushed most Kurdish fighters into northern Syria and Iraq, where Ankara has continued its raids. © 2025 AFP
The National
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
PKK agrees to disband as part of peace process with Turkey
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been in armed conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades, announced it was agreeing to disband and dissolve as part of a peace process with Ankara. 'The PKK's 12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end the armed struggle, with the practical process to be managed and carried out by Leader Apo [Abdullah Ocalan], and ended the work carried out under the PKK name,' Firat news agency, affiliated with the group, said on Monday. The armed group, classified as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union, on Friday said it had held a congress to heed the call of its jailed leader to lay down arms, disband and enter a peace initiative with the Turkish state. Ocalan's call in February came after a months-long process initiated by an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ultranationalist politician Devlet Bahceli, for greater freedoms for Abdullah Ocalan in exchange for the PKK's dissolution. The PKK said it believes Kurdish political parties will fulfill their responsibilities in developing Kurdish democracy and ensure the formation of a Kurdish democratic nation, adding that its mission had been completed. Kurdish officials, particularly in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, have framed the talks with Turkey as aimed at peace and dialogue but Turkish politicians have continued their hardline stance on the armed group. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday said disarmament alone was not sufficient, while Mr Erdogan has continued to publicly call for the group's eradication. Ocalan is serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, where he has been imprisoned since he was captured in Kenya in February 1999. It remains unclear whether Ocalan will be released from prison in exchange for ordering the PKK to lay down its arms. The PKK was founded by Ocalan in 1978 and has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades, with about 40,000 killed on both sides. In recent years, the group's activity has been limited to the mountainous areas of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The group has previously said it will not heed any calls to disarm unless Ocalan is released from jail and a meeting can take place in person, but it is unclear if the process of disarming was under way after Friday's congress. The pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party, also known as DEM Party, which played a crucial role in mediating between the PKK and Ankara, welcomed the congress.
Rudaw Net
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
YPG not exempt from Ocalan's message: Bahceli
Also in Turkey Local population not benefiting from Sirnak oil field: MP Next step in PKK peace talks must come from Ankara: Senior Kurdish official Turkey says PKK must lay down arms, dissolve 'immediately' Pro-Kurdish party to hold fresh talks on Ankara-PKK peace efforts A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) who initiated peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said on Sunday that the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) is not exempt from Abdullah Ocalan's call to dissolve. 'Claims that YPG and similar terrorist formations are exempt from this call, and the sharing of these unfounded views by dissenters, is completely contradictory to the nature of organizational and founding leadership,' Bahceli said, adding, 'The February 27th Imrali call clearly links the PKK terrorist organization with all its extensions and groups.' Turkey claims that there are Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members within the ranks of the YPG, the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara has designated both as terrorist groups. The PKK has repeatedly said that it has no presence in Rojava, and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has also repeatedly said that the PKK no longer exists in Rojava. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in mid-January warned that the YPG will experience a 'bitter fate' if they choose to remain operational and not disband. A delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) earlier this month shared with the public a letter from Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, who is imprisoned on Turkey's secluded Imrali island. In the letter, he urged the group to disarm and disband. His message has sparked hope for an end to four decades of a conflict that has taken 40,000 lives. Bahceli initiated the peace process, which was mediated by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). 'Thanks to the prudent, calm, and consistent messages of the DEM Party, along with its commitment to maintaining stable steps, it will open the way for it to become a party of Turkey,' he said. The MHP leader, who is known for his nationalist remarks and is Erdogan's main ally in government, also stressed that the PKK must dissolve unconditionally. 'The separatist terrorist organization must act in line with the February 27th call of the founding leader and separate from weapons without any conditions, ending its organizational existence,' he explained, adding that 'the terrorist organization has called for its own dissolution.'
Gulf Today
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Kurdish leader calls for laying down of arms
It was something that was in the making for some months now. First came the appeal by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli in October last for a terror-free Turkey, and his invitation to the Kurdish rebel leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, serving a life-term in the Imrali prison, to come to parliament and renounce terrorism. The overture was supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a historic window of opportunity. This was followed by meetings with Ocalan by members of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in December last and again in January. It was at their third meeting on Thursday that Ocalan issued the statement asking the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve itself. He has given his own reasoning why this needs to be done. He said that it is time to return to democratic norms. The question remains whether the PKK rebels would heed his call. The armed rebellion has been on since 1984. The Turkish Kurds have not been able to achieve their goal of an independent Kurdistan in south-east Turkey. Ocalan said in his statement, which was read out in Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and English, 'As in the case with any modern community or party whose existence has not been abolished by force, would voluntarily do, convene your congress and make a decision: all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.' Ocalan is justifying the call by implying that the Kurds have not lost the war, and therefore they can join the democratic process in a politically dignified way. And he had argued in detail the background of the emergence of the armed rebellion of PKK in the last century, and why it has to end now. He said that PKK rose in the context of 'intense violence, two world wars, the rise and fall of real socialism, the Cold War and the denial of Kurdish identity', but now it has to end because 'the collapse of real socialism in the 1990s due to internal reasons, the erosion of identity denial in the country, and advancements in freedom of expression, have led to the PKK's loss of meaning and excessive repetition. Therefore, like its counterparts, it has reached the end of its lifespan, making its dissolution necessary.' It is a well-reasoned argument. Even if the hotheads in the PKK refuse to accept Ocalan's call, this will send out a message of reconciliation to the Kurds in general in Turkey. This also means that Turkey's hard stance over the Kurds has softened, and that it is possible for the Kurds to express their demands and be heard as well. Ocalan has clearly expressed the demand of the Kurds for democratic freedom. He urged Turkey to respect ethnic minorities, the freedom of self-expression and the right of democratic self-organisation. He said, 'The language of the epoch of peace and democratic society needs to be developed in accordance with this reality.' Ocalan is making reasonable demands even as he gives up the path of violence as no more relevant. The peace will not happen overnight, and the negotiations will be long drawn. The PKK can seize the opportunity and end its war which is harming the ordinary Kurds in Turkey more than helping them get their rights. This will bring to a close a long-fought war of terrorism, where neither the PKK nor Turkey can declare victory. So, Ocalan has rightly seen the peace offer as a solution which retains the dignity of the Kurd rebels intact. It is not an ignominious capitulation. It is not defeat. Ocalan has given them enough reasons to make them feel that their fight has not been futile, but that circumstances have changed.
