Latest news with #Pro-Kurdish
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Turkey sets up parliamentary commission to oversee PKK disarmament
* Turkey sets up parliamentary commission to oversee PKK disarmament PKK said in May it will disband after jailed leader's call * More than 40,000 people have been killed in insurgency * Commission will oversee disarmament, prepare legal regulations * Pro-Kurdish party says it seeks cultural, political rights By Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA, - Turkey's parliament launched a commission on Tuesday to oversee the disarmament of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party militant group following its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's call for it to end its insurgency. Thirty PKK militants burned their weapons in a ceremony in northern Iraq last month, marking a symbolic first step towards ending a decades-long struggle with Turkey in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus told lawmakers at the opening of the first session that one of the commission's responsibilities would be to oversee the disarmament process. "With the complete disarmament, the preparation of legal regulations that will make peace permanent is also among the responsibilities of this commission," Kurtulmus said. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. It decided in May to disband, disarm and end its armed struggle, saying it "has completed its historic mission". Its goals shifted over the decades from seeking an independent state to seeking greater Kurdish rights and limited autonomy in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey. All but one parliamentary party are represented in the commission, marking the first time multiple parties have formally gathered in parliament to address the peace process. The main opposition CHP joined the commission on condition that it address democratisation steps, while the nationalist opposition IYI Party refused to take part, saying it will legitimise PKK demands. The PKK's decision to disband came after a public call from its long-imprisoned leader Ocalan, prompted by a surprise proposal in October from Erdogan's ultra-nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, Turkey's third-largest, played a key role facilitating Ocalan's peace call. "Permanent peace is possible through a democratic solution process based on a legitimate and inclusive political foundation," DEM's Gulistan Kocyigit told the commission. She said the DEM demands collective rights for Kurds, including the right to education in their mother tongue and steps to strengthen local governance. DEM's Meral Danis Bestas said steps should be taken to allow a review of Ocalan's aggravated life sentence. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Rudaw Net
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey's PKK peace commission will meet Tuesday
Also in Turkey Pro-Kurdish party demands guarantee for return of PKK fighters to Turkey Turkey's peace process commission to begin work in early August: Speaker Ocalan expects parliamentary commission will contribute to peace process Association calls on Zaza Kurds in Turkey to boost mother tongue A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The first meeting of Turkey's newly formed parliamentary commission established to provide legal and political frameworks for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) will take place on Tuesday, state media reported on Friday. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus invited the 51 members of the commission to attend the inaugural meeting where they will make decisions about how the commission will operate, according to Anadolu Agency. The commission was established as part of peace negotiations between the Turkish government and the PKK. It includes members from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the AKP's governing ally the ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) whose leader Devlet Bahceli last year launched the peace process by calling on jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan to announce his group's dissolution, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) that has been mediating the peace talks, and several other smaller parties, including Kurdish ones. As part of the peace process, the PKK held a disarmament ceremony in Sulaimani province on July 11, when 30 members and commanders burned their weapons. The group decided to lay down arms after Ocalan urged them to pursue a political solution to obtain rights for Kurds in Turkey instead of armed conflict. Some PKK fighters based in Duhok province told Rudaw in July that they fear reprisals if they return to Turkey. Many are opting to remain in the mountains. Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the executive council of PKK umbrella group the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in July said they will not commit to further disarmament until Turkey makes legal reforms to address discrimination of its Kurdish population, and if Ankara fails to take action, then other groups will emerge and pick up the fight. A DEM Party delegation last week met with Ocalan, who said he hopes the parliamentary commission will make important contributions to the peace process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised Ocalan, saying he 'has provided and continues to provide all kinds of support on this issue.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
PKK Kurdish terror group ends 40-year war with Turkey
A Kurdish militant group that has waged a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state has agreed to lay down its arms and dissolve. The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) followed its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urging the group to disband two months ago saying there was no longer any reason for its armed struggle. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK – designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies – launched its insurgency in 1984. The move could end one of Turkey's most persisting security problems and have far-reaching consequences across the region on other Kurdish militias, particularly in Syria where they are allied with US forces. Turkey has repeatedly bombarded PKK strongholds in northern Iraq, as well as Kurdish militias in north-eastern Syria. The PKK's original aim was to create an independent state for Kurds, who make up about 20 per cent of Turkey's population. However, it has more recently turned its attention to fighting for greater rights for Kurds within the country. In a statement on Monday, the PKK said it had 'brought the Kurdish issue to the point of resolution through democratic politics, thus completing its historical mission'. The group, which is based in the mountains of northern Iraq, added that Ocalan should lead the process and Turkey's parliament. Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island off Istanbul since 1999, had urged his fighters to hold a congress to formalise the decision at the end of February. Days later, the PKK's leadership accepted Ocalan's call, declaring a unilateral ceasefire, but attached conditions, including the creation of a legal framework for peace negotiations. In a speech on Saturday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, hinted that news about a dissolution was imminent, adding that his government was determined to 'save our country from the scourge of terrorism'. 'We are advancing with firm steps on the path to the goal of a terror-free Turkey,' he said. On Monday, Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Mr Erdogan's AK Party said the PKK's decision to dissolve was an important step towards a 'terror-free Turkey' and that the disbanding process would be meticulously monitored. Concrete and complete implementation of the PKK decision would be a turning point, Mr Celik added. The PKK's decision is likely to give Mr Erdogan a domestic boost and the opportunity to bring peace and development to the mainly Kurdish south-east, where the insurgency has handicapped the regional economy for decades. Pro-Kurdish leaders in Turkey have said they hope that the government will expand rights for Kurds in the wake of the PKK's disarmament. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
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.
