Latest news with #Kurdish-Turkish
Saba Yemen
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Ocalan Calls for New Pact Based on "Brotherhood" Between Kurds,Turks
Istanbul - (Saba): In a new message from prison, the leader of the disbanded Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, called for a new pact "based on brotherhood" to reform Kurdish-Turkish relations. Kurdish media reported that Öcalan said in his message: "There is a need for a new pact based on brotherhood. What we are doing is a major change in the paradigm." He continued: "The essence of the Kurdish-Turkish relationship is something completely different. What is being destroyed is the relationship between brothers. Brothers and sisters are fighting, and one cannot exist without the other. We will remove the traps and debris that are destroying this relationship, one by one, and repair all the damaged roads and collapsed bridges." Öcalan's message was revealed by a delegation from the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Türkiye after a visit to Imrali Prison to meet with Öcalan. This visit by the HDP delegation, which included parliamentarian Pervin Buldan and lawyer Faik Özgür Oral, marked the fifth visit by the party's delegates to Öcalan and the first since the PKK announced its disbandment and disarmament. The first visit by the HDP delegation to Öcalan took place on December 28, 2024, followed by a second visit on January 22, which lasted approximately four hours. Following the third visit, which included a seven-person delegation, the party delegation held a press conference in Istanbul on February 27, during which they revealed Öcalan's letter calling on the PKK to disband and disarm, emphasizing his historical responsibility for this call. On April 21, the party delegation made its fourth visit to Öcalan. In recent days, the PKK announced it would hold a conference during which it decided to disband the party and lay down its weapons. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Mint
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Kurdish separatist group PKK ends armed struggle after 40-year conflict with Turkey – Here's why
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the militant group involved in a four-decade-long insurgency against Turkey, has announced it will disband and end its armed operations. The decision, declared in a statement issued after a recent leadership congress in northern Iraq, marks a historic shift in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. "The PKK has fulfilled its historical mission," the group said. It added that the Kurdish issue had reached a point where it could be resolved through "democratic politics." A senior PKK official confirmed that all military operations would cease immediately. However, the handover of weapons would depend on the Turkish government's response to the group's demands regarding Kurdish rights and the future of PKK fighters. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party welcomed the move, calling it 'an important step towards a terror-free Turkey.' The government also stressed that the disarmament process would be 'meticulously monitored.' Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Ankara would take the "necessary measures to ensure smooth progress" toward peace and internal stability. The decision follows a February call to disband from Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's jailed leader, who has been imprisoned since 1999 on an island near Istanbul. The group confirmed that Ocalan would manage the disbanding process. The decision offers a renewed chance for economic and political development in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast. The long-running insurgency has hampered the region's growth and strained national resources. It remains unclear how the PKK's disbanding will affect the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, which Turkey views as a PKK affiliate. The YPG has previously dismissed Ocalan's calls as irrelevant to its operations. It has not commented on the latest announcement. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani congratulated Turkey, calling the PKK's disbanding a 'pivotal moment not only for Turkey's internal security but for the stability of our region as a whole.' The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, Turkey's third-largest political force, played a key role in facilitating Ocalan's peace proposal. Deputy party leader Tayip Temel hailed the development as significant. 'This decision is not just important for the Kurdish people, but for the entire Middle East,' Temel said. 'It will also necessitate a major shift in the official state mentality of Turkey. The PKK decision comes amid political unrest in Turkey. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a major opposition figure, was jailed in March pending corruption charges — a move that sparked the country's largest protests in a decade. The PKK began its insurgency in 1984 seeking an independent Kurdish state. Over the years, the group shifted its goals to demand greater Kurdish rights and regional autonomy. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives and strained Turkey's economy and social fabric.
Egypt Independent
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Kurdish militia declares ceasefire following leader's call to end five-decade insurgency with Turkey
CNN — The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia on Saturday declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia on Saturday declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the group If accepted by Turkey, the declaration could bring about the end of a decades-long conflict estimated to have killed at least 40,000 people and rippled across the borders of multiple neighboring countries. 'We agree with the content of Leader Ocalan's call as it is, and we state that we will comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side. We declare a ceasefire effective as of today,' the PKK Executive Committee said in a statement published by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. The Executive Committee commended Ocalan's call, describing it as a manifesto that 'illuminates the path of all forces of freedom and democracy.' The statement added that, for the political process to be successful, 'democratic politics and legal grounds must also be appropriate.' The conflict between the PKK and Turkey has had devastating effects on Turkey and neighbors. Ocalan's peace call on Thursday marked a major turning point and could have far-reaching implications for the Middle East. 'I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call,' he wrote in a statement Thursday that was read by Turkish lawmakers. 'All groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.' A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on February 27, 2025. Sertac Kayar/Reuters/File For almost five decades, Turkey has been at war with the PKK, founded by Ocalan in 1978. Much of the fighting has focused on the group's desire to establish an independent Kurdish state in the country's southeast. But in recent years the group has called for more autonomy within Turkey instead. Earlier this week, Ocalan noted how the mutual cooperation between Turks and Kurds was broken in the last 200 years, but said: 'Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile.' In recent months, prospects of Kurdish-Turkish peace were recharged by an unusual overture from far-right Turkish lawmaker Devlet Bahceli, an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who invited Ocalan to come to parliament and 'declare that he has laid down his arms.' Ocalan was captured in 1999 in Kenya by Turkish authorities, reportedly with the help of the CIA, and was sentenced in Turkey to life in prison for treason, with limited contact with the outside world. But over the past few months, at least three delegations have visited him in prison Kurds are the biggest minority in Turkey, making up between 15% and 20% of the population, according to Minority Rights Group International. They also have a significant presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran. Violence flared in the country in August 1984 when fighters from the PKK killed two Turkish soldiers. Over the years, the PKK has transformed into a militant arm of a regional ethnic struggle to carry on the Kurdish culture, as the death toll mounted. About a decade ago, Ocalan made a similar call to his followers to lay down their arms. But the 2013 peace process soon collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire. The Kurdish people have had a complicated relationship with Erdogan, who courted them during his early years in power by granting them more rights and reversing restrictions on the use of their language, and worked on the brief peace process with the PKK. Erdogan has been eyeing a constitutional change that will allow him to run for a third term in the country's 2028 elections. The move requires a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. The ceasefire came, some experts note, as the president seeks the support of the third-biggest party in the parliament, the pro-Kurdish DEM party, whose lawmakers liaised between Ocalan and government and read out the Kurdish leader's statement from prison on Thursday. This story has been updated with additional details.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kurdish militia declares ceasefire following leader's call to end five-decade insurgency with Turkey
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia on Saturday declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the group. If accepted by Turkey, the declaration could bring about the end of a decades-long conflict estimated to have killed at least 40,000 people and rippled across the borders of multiple neighboring countries. 'We agree with the content of Leader Ocalan's call as it is, and we state that we will comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side. We declare a ceasefire effective as of today,' the PKK Executive Committee said in a statement published by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. The Executive Committee commended Ocalan's call, describing it as a manifesto that 'illuminates the path of all forces of freedom and democracy.' The statement added that, for the political process to be successful, 'democratic politics and legal grounds must also be appropriate.' The conflict between the PKK and Turkey has had devastating effects on Turkey and neighbors. Ocalan's peace call on Thursday marked a major turning point and could have far-reaching implications for the Middle East. 'I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call,' he wrote in a statement Thursday that was read by Turkish lawmakers. 'All groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.' For almost five decades, Turkey has been at war with the PKK, founded by Ocalan in 1978. Much of the fighting has focused on the group's desire to establish an independent Kurdish state in the country's southeast. But in recent years the group has called for more autonomy within Turkey instead. Earlier this week, Ocalan noted how the mutual cooperation between Turks and Kurds was broken in the last 200 years, but said: 'Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile.' In recent months, prospects of Kurdish-Turkish peace were recharged by an unusual overture from far-right Turkish lawmaker Devlet Bahceli, an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who invited Ocalan to come to parliament and 'declare that he has laid down his arms.' Ocalan was captured in 1999 in Kenya by Turkish authorities, reportedly with the help of the CIA, and was sentenced in Turkey to life in prison for treason, with limited contact with the outside world. But over the past few months, at least three delegations have visited him in prison Kurds are the biggest minority in Turkey, making up between 15% and 20% of the population, according to Minority Rights Group International. They also have a significant presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran. Violence flared in the country in August 1984 when fighters from the PKK killed two Turkish soldiers. Over the years, the PKK has transformed into a militant arm of a regional ethnic struggle to carry on the Kurdish culture, as the death toll mounted. About a decade ago, Ocalan made a similar call to his followers to lay down their arms. But the 2013 peace process soon collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire. The Kurdish people have had a complicated relationship with Erdogan, who courted them during his early years in power by granting them more rights and reversing restrictions on the use of their language, and worked on the brief peace process with the PKK. Erdogan has been eyeing a constitutional change that will allow him to run for a third term in the country's 2028 elections. The move requires a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. The ceasefire came, some experts note, as the president seeks the support of the third-biggest party in the parliament, the pro-Kurdish DEM party, whose lawmakers liaised between Ocalan and government and read out the Kurdish leader's statement from prison on Thursday. This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN
01-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Kurdish militia declares ceasefire following leader's call to end five-decade insurgency with Turkey
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia on Saturday declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the group. If accepted by Turkey, the declaration could bring about the end of a decades-long conflict estimated to have killed at least 40,000 people and rippled across the borders of multiple neighboring countries. 'We agree with the content of Leader Ocalan's call as it is, and we state that we will comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side. We declare a ceasefire effective as of today,' the PKK Executive Committee said in a statement published by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. The Executive Committee commended Ocalan's call, describing it as a manifesto that 'illuminates the path of all forces of freedom and democracy.' The statement added that, for the political process to be successful, 'democratic politics and legal grounds must also be appropriate.' The conflict between the PKK and Turkey has had devastating effects on Turkey and neighbors. Ocalan's peace call on Thursday marked a major turning point and could have far-reaching implications for the Middle East. 'I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call,' he wrote in a statement Thursday that was read by Turkish lawmakers. 'All groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.' For almost five decades, Turkey has been at war with the PKK, founded by Ocalan in 1978. Much of the fighting has focused on the group's desire to establish an independent Kurdish state in the country's southeast. But in recent years the group has called for more autonomy within Turkey instead. Earlier this week, Ocalan noted how the mutual cooperation between Turks and Kurds was broken in the last 200 years, but said: 'Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile.' In recent months, prospects of Kurdish-Turkish peace were recharged by an unusual overture from far-right Turkish lawmaker Devlet Bahceli, an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who invited Ocalan to come to parliament and 'declare that he has laid down his arms.' Ocalan was captured in 1999 in Kenya by Turkish authorities, reportedly with the help of the CIA, and was sentenced in Turkey to life in prison for treason, with limited contact with the outside world. But over the past few months, at least three delegations have visited him in prison Kurds are the biggest minority in Turkey, making up between 15% and 20% of the population, according to Minority Rights Group International. They also have a significant presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran. Violence flared in the country in August 1984 when fighters from the PKK killed two Turkish soldiers. Over the years, the PKK has transformed into a militant arm of a regional ethnic struggle to carry on the Kurdish culture, as the death toll mounted. About a decade ago, Ocalan made a similar call to his followers to lay down their arms. But the 2013 peace process soon collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire. The Kurdish people have had a complicated relationship with Erdogan, who courted them during his early years in power by granting them more rights and reversing restrictions on the use of their language, and worked on the brief peace process with the PKK. Erdogan has been eyeing a constitutional change that will allow him to run for a third term in the country's 2028 elections. The move requires a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. The ceasefire came, some experts note, as the president seeks the support of the third-biggest party in the parliament, the pro-Kurdish DEM party, whose lawmakers liaised between Ocalan and government and read out the Kurdish leader's statement from prison on Thursday. This story has been updated with additional details.
