Kurdish Leader Abdullah Ocalan Advocates for Peace and Disarmament

In a significant move, Abdullah Ocalan calls on the Kurdish PKK to disarm, steering towards a peaceful resolution in Turkey's decades-long conflict.

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Movement (PKK), has made a historic appeal for the dissipation of armed conflict, urging his followers to lay down their arms and dissolve the organization. This statement was conveyed through pro-Kurdish party MPs during a meeting that took place on Imrali, the prison island where Ocalan has been incarcerated since 1999. At 75 years old, Ocalan emphasized the necessity for a peaceful resolution to the 40-year-long conflict which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands.

In his letter, Ocalan stated, “There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system,” advocating for democratic consensus as a means to achieve political aims. He called on all members of PKK to cease armed resistance, citing that the group's formation arose from the closing of democratic channels in Turkey. Alluding to a recent initiative by nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, who has entered into dialogue with pro-Kurdish MPs and indicated potential parole for Ocalan contingent on an end to violence, Ocalan expressed optimism about the emerging environment conducive to peace.

Bahceli, traditionally an advocate for aggressive military measures against the PKK, made headlines last year by holding hands with pro-Kurdish representatives in parliament, suggesting a potential shift towards reconciliation. This development comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions, which included a resurgence of violence between 2015 and 2017 following the collapse of a peace process and an attack claimed by the PKK in October that resulted in five fatalities.