The imprisoned leader of the Kurdish guerrilla group, which has been engaged in a protracted insurgency against the Turkish government, issued a significant statement on Thursday urging his faction to cease hostilities and disband. This momentous appeal could pave the way toward concluding a violent conflict that has persisted for four decades.

Abdullah Ocalan, who heads the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (P.K.K.), conveyed his message through a written statement that was shared during a press conference by members of Turkey’s primary pro-Kurdish political organization following their visit to him in prison. In his address, he acknowledged that while the P.K.K. made strides when “democratic avenues for politics were obstructed,” the group has now outlived its purpose and should consider disbanding.

“Call a congress and make a decision,” he indicated in the statement, which was delivered first in Kurdish and then in Turkish. “All factions should lay down their weapons, and the P.K.K. must dissolve.” Ocalan emphasized the necessity for both the Turkish state and the Kurdish people to progress together with a spirit of unity, asserting that democracy is the only viable path forward.

The press conference attracted many journalists and Kurdish representatives, and the crowd erupted in applause, some even giving a standing ovation when a rarely seen image of Mr. Ocalan was projected on a screen.

This rare message from Ocalan raises hopes that the long-standing conflict, which has claimed over 40,000 lives, might reach resolution. It could also have implications beyond Turkey, given Ocalan’s significant influence among P.K.K. members in Turkey and Iraq, as well as Kurdish forces in Syria and Iran.

Should P.K.K. fighters respond positively to Ocalan’s call to surrender their arms, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could leverage this as a political triumph, potentially enhancing national security amid the region’s ongoing turbulence.

Source link