PKK Declares Ceasefire Following Abdullah Ocalan’s Call to Disband
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced a ceasefire with Türkiye on Saturday, following an appeal by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, who urged the group to disband and lay down arms.
This marks the first response from the PKK after Ocalan’s landmark call earlier this week to end the four-decade-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
“In order to pave the way for the implementation of leader Apo’s call for peace and a democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective from today,” the PKK executive committee stated, as reported by the pro-PKK ANF news agency.
The PKK leadership, based in northern Iraq, affirmed its commitment to following and implementing Ocalan’s message, adding that its forces will not take armed action unless attacked.
The PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed conflict since 1984, seeking autonomy for Kurds, who constitute about 20% of Türkiye’s population. The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives.
Since Ocalan’s imprisonment in 1999, multiple efforts have been made to end the bloodshed. This week, after several discussions with Ocalan at his island prison, the pro-Kurdish DEM party relayed his appeal for the PKK to lay down its arms and dissolve.
On Saturday, the PKK expressed its willingness to convene a congress as per Ocalan’s request. However, it emphasized that a secure environment must be ensured, and Ocalan himself must lead the process for the congress to be successful.
