PKK Founder Abdullah Ocalan Calls for Militant Group to Disband in Landmark Declaration

Image Credentials: Generated with AI DALL·E 2025-02-27 23.07.01

By Staff Writer with Agencies

Istanbul, Turkey – Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), issued a historic call on Thursday for his militant group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself, signaling a potential breakthrough in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state.

The declaration, written from his solitary confinement cell on Imrali prison island, was read aloud in Istanbul by a delegation of lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party who visited him earlier in the day.

“All groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself,” Ocalan’s statement read. “I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call.”

This unprecedented appeal comes four months after Turkish authorities extended a symbolic olive branch to the 75-year-old leader, who has been imprisoned since 1999. It also marks the most significant peace overture since talks collapsed in 2015, reigniting violence in Turkey’s southeastern regions.

A Shift in Turkish Politics

Ocalan’s call for disarmament follows a surprising political shift initiated by Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key coalition partner of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In October, Bahceli suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole if he publicly renounced violence and ordered the PKK’s disbandment.

This move is widely seen as part of Erdogan’s broader political strategy. With Turkey’s Constitution currently barring him from seeking another term as president, Erdogan may need the support of the pro-Kurdish DEM party to push through constitutional changes or call an early election.

The DEM party has long advocated for increased rights and autonomy for Turkey’s Kurdish population, as well as improved conditions for Ocalan. However, Turkish officials have yet to confirm whether any concessions were made to Kurdish groups as part of this new peace initiative.

Uncertain Response from the PKK

While Ocalan’s statement has sparked discussions about the future of the PKK, the group’s leadership—currently based in northern Iraq—has not issued an immediate response. Likewise, Syrian Kurdish militias affiliated with the PKK have remained silent.

The PKK, founded by Ocalan in 1978, has led an armed insurgency in southeastern Turkey since 1984, a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. Turkey, the United States, and the European Union classify the PKK as a terrorist organization, complicating international perspectives on potential peace efforts.

The Path to Peace?

This is not the first time efforts have been made to end the bloodshed. Previous peace talks in the early 2010s raised hopes for a resolution, but negotiations ultimately collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed violence.

If Ocalan’s latest appeal is taken seriously by the PKK leadership, it could pave the way for a formal peace process. However, skepticism remains high, particularly among Turkish nationalists and military officials who have spent decades battling PKK forces.

For now, Ocalan’s call remains a significant, though uncertain, step toward ending one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies.