Latest news with #KandilMountains
Jordan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Kurdish militant group PKK says disbanding, ending armed struggle
Supporters display a poster depicting jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party Abdullah Ocalan, 75, after he called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve itself in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, on February 27, 2025 (AFP photo) ISTANBUL — The Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] on Monday announced its dissolution, saying it was ending its armed struggle against the Turkish state and drawing a line under its bloody four-decade insurgency. Founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK carried out attacks aimed at defending Kurdish autonomy in Turkey that cost more than 40,000 lives. "The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle," the group said in a statement published by the pro-Kurdish ANF news agency. The move was welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party as an "important step", saying the implementation of the process would be "meticulously monitored" by the government. The historic announcement came after an appeal by Ocalan, who on February 27 urged his fighters disarm and disband in a letter from Istanbul's Imrali prison island, where he has been held since 1999. He also asked the PKK to hold a congress to formalise the decision, which the call and declared a ceasefire, holding its congress early last week in Iraq's Kandil mountains. There its leader took "decisions of historic importance concerning the PKK's activities", ANF had reported on Friday. AKP spokesman Omer Celik said if the decision were "implemented in practise and realised in all its dimensions" it would open the door to a new era. "The PKK's decision to dissolve itself and lay down its arms following the call from Imrali is an important step towards a terror-free Turkey," Celik said. "The full and concrete implementation of the decision to dissolve and surrender arms... will be a turning point," he added, saying the process would be "meticulously monitored" by the government. 'Huge win for Erdogan' The declaration was the culmination of seven months of work to renew long-stalled talks that began in October when Ankara offered Ocalan an unexpected olive branch. "If the PKK announces it is disbanding and finalises the process without any road accidents, that will be a huge win for Erdogan," Gonul Tol of the Washington-based Middle East Institute told AFP. She said seeking a rapprochement with the Kurds was very much related to domestic politics, coming just months after Erdogan's AKP suffered a blow at the ballot box. Analysts say a deal with the Kurds could allow Erdogan to amend the constitution and extend his term in office, while simultaneously driving a wedge between pro-Kurdish parties and the rest of Turkey's opposition. "The main driver behind this Ocalan opening has always been about consolidating Erdogan's rule. Because if this whole process succeeds, he will go into the 2028 elections as a stronger candidate who is facing a divided opposition," Tol said. In a weekend speech, Erdogan hinted the dissolution could be announced at any moment, saying that "We are advancing with firm steps on the path toward the goal of a terror-free Turkey". The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Ankara, Washington and Brussels, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. Its original aim was to carve out a homeland for Kurds, who make up about 20 per cent of Turkey's 85 million people.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kurdish militant group PKK says disbanding, ending armed struggle
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Monday announced its dissolution, saying it was ending its armed struggle against the Turkish state and drawing a line under its bloody four-decade insurgency. Founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK carried out attacks aimed at defending Kurdish autonomy in Turkey that cost more than 40,000 lives. "The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle," the group said in a statement published by the pro-Kurdish ANF news agency. The move was welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party as an "important step", saying the implementation of the process would be "meticulously monitored" by the government. The historic announcement came after an appeal by Ocalan, who on February 27 urged his fighters disarm and disband in a letter from Istanbul's Imrali prison island, where he has been held since 1999. He also asked the PKK to hold a congress to formalise the decision, which the call and declared a ceasefire, holding its congress early last week in Iraq's Kandil mountains. There its leader took "decisions of historic importance concerning the PKK's activities", ANF had reported on Friday. AKP spokesman Omer Celik said if the decision were "implemented in practise and realised in all its dimensions" it would open the door to a new era. "The PKK's decision to dissolve itself and lay down its arms following the call from Imrali is an important step towards a terror-free Turkey," Celik said. "The full and concrete implementation of the decision to dissolve and surrender arms... will be a turning point," he added, saying the process would be "meticulously monitored" by the government. - 'Huge win for Erdogan' - The declaration was the culmination of seven months of work to renew long-stalled talks that began in October when Ankara offered Ocalan an unexpected olive branch. "If the PKK announces it is disbanding and finalises the process without any road accidents, that will be a huge win for Erdogan," Gonul Tol of the Washington-based Middle East Institute told AFP. She said seeking a rapprochement with the Kurds was very much related to domestic politics, coming just months after Erdogan's AKP suffered a blow at the ballot box. Analysts say a deal with the Kurds could allow Erdogan to amend the constitution and extend his term in office, while simultaneously driving a wedge between pro-Kurdish parties and the rest of Turkey's opposition. "The main driver behind this Ocalan opening has always been about consolidating Erdogan's rule. Because if this whole process succeeds, he will go into the 2028 elections as a stronger candidate who is facing a divided opposition," Tol said. In a weekend speech, Erdogan hinted the dissolution could be announced at any moment, saying that "We are advancing with firm steps on the path toward the goal of a terror-free Turkey". The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Ankara, Washington and Brussels, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. Its original aim was to carve out a homeland for Kurds, who make up about 20 percent of Turkey's 85 million people. fo-hmw/js
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kurdish PKK says held 'successful' meeting on disbanding
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) held a "successful" meeting this week with a view to disarming and disbanding, a Kurdish news agency close to the armed movement said on Friday. The meeting resulted in "decisions of historic importance concerning the PKK's activities, based on the call" of founder Abdullah Ocalan, who in February urged the movement to dissolve, the ANF agency said. The congress, which was held between Monday and Wednesday, took place in the "Media Defence Zones" -- a term used by the movement to designate the Kandil mountains of northern Iraq where the PKK military command is located, the agency reported. The PKK did not explicitly say it was dissolving but added that it would share "full and detailed information with regard to the outcome of this congress very soon", it said. On February 27, Ocalan urged his fighters to disarm and disband, ending a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. In his historic call -- in a letter read out by pro-Kurdish delegates at a news conference in Istanbul -- Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress to formalise the decision. Days later, the PKK's leadership accepted Ocalan's call, declaring a ceasefire. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned there will be harsh consequences "if the promises are not kept" or the militants delay disarming. - 'Historic' step to peace - The pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy party (DEM), the third largest party in Turkey's parliament, hailed the news in a statement on Friday. "With the PKK's historic congress decisions, we are one step closer to the horizon of peace after fifty years of conflict," it said. "This is a step towards the re-emergence and development of peace and democratic politics that have been longed for, for centuries, in the heart of our ancient lands." DEM's spokesperson Aysegul Dogan had told a news conference before the announcement of the congress: "We are ready to fulfill all our responsibilities with courage, devotion and determination for a Turkey where we can all breathe together, where an equal, fair and permanent peace is achieved and where our vision of a democratic society is realized." A DEM delegation held talks with Ocalan in his prison island off Istanbul, as well as with Turkish political parties and contacts in Iraq. Turkish media reported that the PKK delayed announcement of the congress because DEM delegation member Sirri Sureyya Onder died on Saturday aged 62. Onder was a veteran politician who won respect across Turkey's political spectrum for his efforts to end years of Kurdish conflict. "It is highly probable that PKK already gathered its congress and delayed the announcement because of Onder's death," a DEM source told AFP. "This also fits the calendar previously announced" by nationalist MHP party leader Devlet Bahceli, a strong ally of Erdogan and a key figure in efforts to resume talks, the source added. Bahceli had proposed the PKK meet in Malazgirt near Lake Van in Turkey's far east on May 4. bg-fo/rlp
