Latest news with #PKK-Ankara
Rudaw Net
6 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Ocalan expects parliamentary commission will contribute to peace process
Also in Turkey Association calls on Zaza Kurds in Turkey to boost mother tongue Turkish parliament forms PKK peace talks commission DEM Party meets jailed PKK leader PKK demands constitutional changes in Turkey, refuses amnesty ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said he hopes a commission being formed in the Turkish parliament will make "important" contributions to the PKK-Ankara peace process. A delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) visited Ocalan in Imrali prison on Friday for their first meeting since the PKK's ceremonial disarmament earlier this month. The meeting lasted three and a half hours. Ocalan "emphasized his expectation that the commission work on the Turkish Grand National Assembly's agenda would make important contributions to peace and democracy through a comprehensive and inclusive approach," DEM Party said on Saturday. Parties in the Turkish parliament have until Thursday to submit their candidates for the 51-member commission. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is entitled to 21 members, followed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) with ten members. The DEM Party and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) each will have four members. The rest will be distributed over smaller parties. The ultranationalist Good Party (IYI) has refused to take part. The formation of the commission is part of ongoing peace talks, or what Ankara calls terror-free Turkey, between the state and the PKK, which has decided to dissolve itself and lay down arms after decades of devastating war. A first group of PKK fighters burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony earlier this month.
Rudaw Net
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK says peace process cannot proceed unilaterally
Also in Turkey PKK disarmament ceremony to proceed without live broadcast: DEM Party Ocalan reaffirms PKK shift to peace, urges legislative oversight for peace process Erdogan receives pro-Kurdish party delegation PKK-Ankara peace process entering 'new phase': Ocalan A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An umbrella group that includes the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Thursday expressed its commitment to jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's recent 'historic' message but stressed that Ankara also has to act in the peace process. 'We are determined to take the step Leader Apo [Ocalan] demands of us. We are taking this new step by thinking of our people and all peoples. However, this process cannot proceed unilaterally and only with the steps we take,' the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) said in a statement. Ocalan, in a video message recorded on June 19 and released Wednesday, announced the end of the PKK's armed struggle and renewed his call for the formation of a parliament commission to oversee the peace process with the Turkish government. The KCK said that the Turkish state 'has not taken any steps in response to the process or our actions,' but affirmed its commitment to Ocalan's message and the PKK disarmament process regardless. It further called for the release of Ocalan from prison, stressing 'only if Leader Apo is free can the process advance and achieve its goals. Otherwise, no further progress can be made under current conditions.' The PKK leader has been locked up in Turkey's secluded Imrali island since 1999 after being whisked away by Turkish intelligence agents in Nairobi, Kenya. A first batch of PKK fighters is set to disarm in a historic ceremony in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province on Friday. The event marks a major milestone in a broader, months-long peace initiative led by Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which aims to end the four-decade conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The ceremony also comes as the PKK responded to a February appeal from Ocalan to abandon armed struggle in favor of a political solution. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought to establish an independent Kurdish state but has, in recent decades, shifted its focus toward securing greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
Rudaw Net
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Ocalan reaffirms PKK shift to peace, urges legislative oversight for peace process
Also in Turkey PKK disarmament ceremony to proceed without live broadcast: DEM Party Erdogan receives pro-Kurdish party delegation PKK-Ankara peace process entering 'new phase': Ocalan DEM Party meets Ocalan ahead of Erdogan talks, PKK disarmament A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - In a pivotal video message released Wednesday, Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), reaffirmed the group's historic departure from armed struggle and reiterated his call for a legislative commission to oversee the peace process with the Turkish state. In the message, filmed on June 19, Ocalan Ocalan described the current moment as a 'highly valuable and historic' juncture and restated his commitment to the 'Call for Peace and a Democratic Society' he issued in February, urging PKK members to abandon armed resistance in favor of a political path to securing Kurdish rights. In May, the PKK announced it would adhere to Ocalan's call - an announcement the jailed leader hailed as a 'historic response.' Ocalan explicitly declared the official end of the PKK's national liberation war strategy, stating that with the recognition of Kurdish existence, the armed struggle had become an 'excessive repetition and a dead end.' He attributed the shift to recent discussions held with Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which he emphasized were conducted 'on the basis of free will.' The DEM Party has been leading a broad, months-long peace initiative to resolve the four-decade conflict, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives - mostly PKK fighters. Ankara has framed this initiative within its 'Free-Terror Turkey' campaign. The jailed PKK leader also revealed that a 'manifesto for a democratic society' has been prepared, calling it a 'historic turning point.' He said the next step requires 'voluntary disarmament' and the formation of a "comprehensive commission authorized and established by law' to regulate its works by the Turkish parliament. He further underlined that the PKK has now 'abandoned its nation-state goal' and its foundational war strategy, transitioning to a new phase of 'democratic politics and law.' In late June, the DEM Party told Rudaw that it plans to submit a proposal to the speaker of parliament for the creation of a 40 to 50 member commission to manage the peace process and establish its legal and political framework. In his video message, Ocalan stressed the interdependence of individual and societal freedom, stating: 'Society can be free to the extent that the individual is free, and the individual can be free to the extent that society is free.' He concluded by expressing confidence in 'the power of politics and social peace, not weapons,' urging the full implementation of the peace plan. Ocalan's Wednesday message notably comes just days before a disarmament ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 11, in the Kurdistan Region's eastern Sulaimani province. There, the first group of PKK fighters - estimated to number between 30 and 40 - are expected to formally lay down arms and destroy their weapons. Founded in 1978, the PKK originally sought to establish an independent Kurdish state. In recent decades, however, it has shifted focus toward securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
Rudaw Net
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK disarmament ceremony to proceed without live broadcast: DEM Party
Also in Turkey Ocalan reaffirms PKK shift to peace, urges legislative oversight for peace process Erdogan receives pro-Kurdish party delegation PKK-Ankara peace process entering 'new phase': Ocalan DEM Party meets Ocalan ahead of Erdogan talks, PKK disarmament A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The highly anticipated disarmament ceremony of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members, scheduled for Friday, July 11, will not be broadcast live due to security concerns, a spokesperson for Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party told Rudaw. However, accredited journalists will be allowed to witness the historic event in person. Aysegul Dogan, spokesperson for the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), told Rudaw's Hevidar Zana on Tuesday that the decision to avoid live coverage is not unprecedented, referencing similar security protocols taken during a 2013 PKK disarmament process. 'Security is a very important issue, and it is normal for precautions to be taken,' she emphasized. Despite the absence of a live feed, Dogan confirmed that 'journalists accredited by the DEM Party will be granted access to observe the ceremony,' noting that the pro-Kurdish party is one of the key organizers of the event. Last week, Rudaw learned that the first group of PKK fighters - ranging from 30 to 40 - is set to disarm in the Kurdistan Region's eastern Sulaimani province. The Friday event represents a major milestone in a broader, months-long peace initiative led by the DEM Party, which aims to end the four-decade conflict between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish state - a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives, primarily PKK fighters. The ceremony also follows the PKK's announcement in May of its dissolution, responding to a February appeal by their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down arms and pursue a political solution for securing Kurdish cultural and political rights. Calling the upcoming ceremony a 'historic step,' Dogan said a high-level DEM Party delegation is expected to attend, alongside representatives from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and several parliamentarians. She also indicated a strong likelihood of attending the event herself. Dogan further shared the DEM Party's expectation that PKK leader would participate via a video message, stressing that he 'should also be able to play an active role in this process. People are curious about his situation, and his group wants clarity on his condition.' Notably, a pivotal video message from Ocalan - recorded on June 19 - was released Wednesday. In the message, the PKK leader reaffirmed his group's historic departure from armed struggle and renewed his call for the formation of a legislative commission to oversee the peace process with the Turkish government. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought to establish an independent Kurdish state but has, in recent decades, shifted its focus toward securing greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
Rudaw Net
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Erdogan receives pro-Kurdish party delegation
Also in Turkey PKK-Ankara peace process entering 'new phase': Ocalan DEM Party meets Ocalan ahead of Erdogan talks, PKK disarmament AKP lawmaker says Turkey-PKK peace process to conclude by end of 2025 AKP accuses CHP leader of threatening democracy A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday received a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) amid fresh developments in the ongoing peace talks between Ankara and Kurdish rebels. The DEM Party delegation, consisting of the party's lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, were received by Erdogan at the Presidential Complex, marking the second meeting between the Turkish president and the pro-Kurdish party since the nascent peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) started. The DEM Party, which is mediating the talks, visited jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on Sunday, relaying a positive message from him. The PKK announced its dissolution in May, in response to a February call by Ocalan to end the conflict that has claimed around 40,000 lives and pursue a political path to securing Kurdish political and cultural rights. The first batch of PKK fighters, believed to be 20 to 30, are expected to lay down their weapons in Sulaimani in the coming days. This is a developing story…
