Abdullah Ocalan’s call to dissolve PKK greeted with cautious optimism

Appeal by jailed leader paves way to ending decades-long conflict between Kurdish groups and Turkish state

Syrian Kurds hold up a photo of jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan as they gather in the north-eastern city of Hasakah on Thursday. Reuters

Regional and world powers on Friday welcomed an appeal by Turkey’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan to disarm and disband his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a move that could have radical political and security impacts in the Middle East.

Disarmament could end the PKK’s four-decade insurgency in south-eastern Turkey, which has killed tens of thousands of people. The group, which is banned as a terrorist organisation in the EU, Britain and the US, had sought an independent Kurdish state but in recent years has called for more autonomy within Turkey. It was founded in 1978 by Ocalan.

The PKK leader's call, delivered in a message on Thursday, was greeted with cautious optimism by politicians in Turkey.

“We'll look at the outcome,” said Efkan Ala, a leading member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party. “If the terrorist organisation takes this call, lays down its arms, gathers together and dissolves itself, Turkey will be freed from its shackles.”

Neighbouring Iraq, which has PKK fighters in its north, said Ocalan’s statement was a “positive and important” step to achieving regional stability.

Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, also praised the militant leader's appeal. “In the Kurdistan region, we fully support the peace process and are prepared to play a facilitating role and provide any assistance necessary to advance the process,” Mr Barzani said.

A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Reuters

In Syria, the statement by Ocalan could have far-reaching implications. A PKK-affiliated Kurdish group called the People’s Protection Units (YPG) forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed force that controls the north-east of the country and fought against ISIS.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said Ocalan's appeal would have positive consequences but insisted it applied only to the PKK and was “not related to us in Syria”. “If there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria,” he said.

If the PKK heeds Ocalan's call, an agreement between the Kurds in north-east Syria and the new Turkish-backed central government in Damascus could be easier.

Further afield, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ocalan's move provided an opportunity for peace.

“Ocalan's call offers a chance at last to overcome this violent struggle and reach a lasting peaceful development in the Kurdish question,” a spokesperson for the chancellor said.

But a German foreign ministry spokesperson added that more needed to be done. “An end to violence is an important first step, but more steps are needed to reach a sustainable solution for people in Turkey. That includes respecting and upholding Kurds' cultural and democratic rights.”

Britain also welcomed what it called the first progress towards “peace and security for the people of Turkey, a close Nato ally and long-standing partner in counter-terrorism”.

“We encourage all parties to engage in a peaceful and constructive process that ensures security, stability, and respect for the rule of law,” the Foreign Office said.

Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, said Ocalan's appeal was a significant moment for reconciliation. “The best starting point for a potential political and inclusive process that will peacefully settle the Kurdish issue in Turkey, based in dialogue and reconciliation,” he wrote in a post on X.