Latest news with #PKK-Ankara
Rudaw Net
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK says expects Ocalan to lead party congress
Also in Turkey DEM Party urges Turkish justice minister to ease Ocalan isolation PKK to be informed where to lay down arms: Defense minister 6.2 magnitude quake, aftershocks rock Istanbul Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region despite PKK-Ankara peace talks A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Monday stated that they expect the group's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to lead an upcoming party congress without specifying when said congress is set to be held. 'We hear that Leader Apo is hopeful and continuing his efforts. However, we have yet to receive anything concrete that would allow the implementation of what was outlined in the February 27 call," read a statement from the PKK, adding, 'We hope for a change in this situation - that Leader Apo will achieve conditions where he can live and work freely and be able to lead the party congress that everyone eagerly awaits.' In recent months, Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) renewed its efforts to mediate peace between Turkey and the PKK. The efforts have included meetings with Turkish politicians and with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held in Imrali prison in northwest Turkey since 1999. Ocalan called on the group to disarm and disband in a historic call on February 27, requesting them to take the struggle for Kurdish rights into the political sphere. Nevertheless, despite constantly showing rhetorical support, neither the Turkish government nor the PKK has so far leaped towards actual peace. The PKK has repeatedly stated it is unable to dissolve fully without Ocalan's attendance at an official congress to ratify such a decision. Ocalan's message sparked hope for an end to the conflict that has taken 40,000 lives and has been welcomed by many Western countries, including the US. Despite the ceasefire, Turkey has continued to strike alleged PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region, where the group is headquartered. On Wednesday, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said that Ankara will later inform the PKK of the designated location where they should lay down their arms. Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said last week that 'new developments' could arise later this month regarding the peace process. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially struggled for autonomy but now seeks broader cultural and political rights within Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara and its Western allies.
Rudaw Net
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
DEM Party urges Turkish justice minister to ease Ocalan isolation
Also in Turkey PKK to be informed where to lay down arms: Defense minister 6.2 magnitude quake, aftershocks rock Istanbul Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region despite PKK-Ankara peace talks Pro-Kurdish delegation visits jailed PKK leader A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Representatives of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) met with Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc on Thursday, urging him to ease the isolation of jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan and allow him contact with public figures to facilitate efforts for a peace process. DEM Party parliamentary bloc deputy heads Sezai Temelli and Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, along with Ozturk Turkdogan, co-chair of the party's law and human rights commission, held the meeting with the minister to convey concerns regarding the detention conditions of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kocyigit said they told the minister that 'Mr. Ocalan would not be able to contribute to this process under isolation conditions,' and emphasized that improving his conditions was essential for the peace process to move forward. 'Mr. Ocalan's conditions were the most important topic for the process to advance, and ... must be corrected without fail as soon as possible,' she added. he DEM Party is leading an initiative aimed at mediating peace between Ankara and the PKK. The party released a message from Ocalan in late February calling on the PKK to disarm and disband. In response, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire and expressed willingness to uphold Ocalan's call. However, the group also accused the Turkish government of continuing military operations and said a physical meeting with Ocalan was necessary for the peace process to succeed. Kocyigit said they also highlighted the importance of allowing Ocalan to meet with public figures of his choice. 'We underlined that it is very important for some intellectuals, writers, and journalists that Mr. Ocalan wants to meet with to go to the island and establish contact with him,' she stated. When asked how the justice minister responded, she said, 'The minister also noted these carefully.' The DEM Party on Monday made their third visit to the secluded Imrali prison in northwest Turkey to meet with Ocalan. When asked about whether Ocalan will be granted the 'right to hope,' she said that 'we comprehensively evaluated Mr. Ocalan's working conditions, health, and security conditions,' without giving a clear answer. The law concerns prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment who are otherwise ineligible for conditional release. In October, Devlet Bahceli, leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), called on Ocalan to address the Turkish parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK. He also suggested that Ocalan should benefit from the 'right to hope' law, which could pave the way for his release if certain conditions are met. However, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has repeatedly stated that there is no legal basis for granting Ocalan any right to release under the "right to hope" regulation. Ocalan, who founded the PKK in 1978 and began an armed struggle against the Turkish state six years later, has been jailed on Imrali Island since 1999. His recent message has revived hopes for ending a decades-long conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The PKK, initially fighting for Kurdish autonomy, now advocates for broader cultural and political rights within Turkey. Ankara and its Western allies classify the group as a terrorist organization.
Rudaw Net
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK to be informed where to lay down arms: Defense minister
Also in Turkey 6.2 magnitude quake, aftershocks rock Istanbul Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region despite PKK-Ankara peace talks Pro-Kurdish delegation visits jailed PKK leader DEM Party's Sirri Sureyya Onder in critical condition after heart attack A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on Wednesday that Turkey has set three conditions for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the ongoing peace talks between both sides, including the disarmament of the group. He further noted that PKK fighters would later be informed of the designated location where they should lay down their arms. 'It has to dissolve itself and [PKK fighters] have to surrender their weapons and themselves,' Guler told journalists, adding 'Those will be told to them.' Turkey and the PKK have been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict. Ankara and its western allies consider the group a terrorist organization. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially struggled for autonomy but now seeks broader cultural and political rights within Turkey. The peace efforts to resolve the Ankara-PKK conflict - which has lasted more than four decades and claimed over 40,000 lives - have gained new momentum in recent months. Turkey's defense ministry announced on Wednesday that a Turkish soldier was killed by PKK on the Kurdistan Region's bordering areas. In late February, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the PKK to disarm and disband. The PKK responded to Ocalan's message, expressing willingness to uphold his call and declaring a unilateral ceasefire with Turkey, while accusing Ankara of continuing attacks against its members. The group also requested a physical meeting with Ocalan as a precondition for the success of the peace process. Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said on Monday that 'new developments' could arise later this month regarding the peace process.
