A flag bearing the image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on show during celebrations for the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2025. Reuters
A flag bearing the image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on show during celebrations for the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2025. Reuters
A flag bearing the image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on show during celebrations for the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2025. Reuters
A flag bearing the image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on show during celebrations for the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2025. Reuters

PKK agrees to disband as part of peace process with Turkey


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The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been in armed conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades, has announced it will disband and dissolve as part of a peace process with Ankara.

“The PKK’s 12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK’s organisational structure, end the armed struggle, with the practical process to be managed and carried out by Leader Apo [Abdullah Ocalan], and end the work carried out under the PKK name,” Firat news agency, affiliated with the group, said on Monday.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that the PKK's decision to disband and end its armed struggle against the Turkish state is of "historic importance" for permanent peace in the region.

  • Abdallah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with guerrillas at a training camp in Helweh, Lebanon, 2km from the Syrian border, in 1992. AFP
    Abdallah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with guerrillas at a training camp in Helweh, Lebanon, 2km from the Syrian border, in 1992. AFP
  • PKK fighters training at Helweh in 1992. AFP
    PKK fighters training at Helweh in 1992. AFP
  • Turkish army commandos raises their weapons during a military operation aiming to clear the area of PKK guerrillas, in northern Iraq, 1995. Reuters
    Turkish army commandos raises their weapons during a military operation aiming to clear the area of PKK guerrillas, in northern Iraq, 1995. Reuters
  • Turkish soldiers plant a flag at Zap camp, northern Iraq, after they captured it from the PKK in 1997. Reuters
    Turkish soldiers plant a flag at Zap camp, northern Iraq, after they captured it from the PKK in 1997. Reuters
  • The aftermath of a bus explosion in Kirikkale, east of Ankara, in 1998. The blast ripped a hole in its roof, killing four and injuring 20 passengers. Reuters
    The aftermath of a bus explosion in Kirikkale, east of Ankara, in 1998. The blast ripped a hole in its roof, killing four and injuring 20 passengers. Reuters
  • Ocalan's lawyers address a press conference in a Rome hotel where the pair said the PKK leader was willing to be prosecuted in a country were he will be judged according to constitutional laws because he has not committed any acts of terrorism, in 1998. Reuters
    Ocalan's lawyers address a press conference in a Rome hotel where the pair said the PKK leader was willing to be prosecuted in a country were he will be judged according to constitutional laws because he has not committed any acts of terrorism, in 1998. Reuters
  • Ocalan is bound and blindfolded by special forces in a seat on board a private aircraft in February 1999 following his removal from the Greek embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters
    Ocalan is bound and blindfolded by special forces in a seat on board a private aircraft in February 1999 following his removal from the Greek embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters
  • Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pose for the media before a meeting in Ankara in 2006 to discuss Turkey's opposition to the rebel PKK. Reuters
    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pose for the media before a meeting in Ankara in 2006 to discuss Turkey's opposition to the rebel PKK. Reuters
  • A PKK training session in Amedia, northern Iraq, in 2007. AFP
    A PKK training session in Amedia, northern Iraq, in 2007. AFP
  • Armed Kurdish fighters from the PKK march into Heror, northern Iraq, in 2013. AP
    Armed Kurdish fighters from the PKK march into Heror, northern Iraq, in 2013. AP
  • Supporters display a poster depicting jailed PKK leader Ocalan, after he called on the party to lay down its arms and dissolve, in Diyarbakir, Turkey. AFP
    Supporters display a poster depicting jailed PKK leader Ocalan, after he called on the party to lay down its arms and dissolve, in Diyarbakir, Turkey. AFP

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian and Jordanian counterparts, Mr Fidan said there would be practical steps to be taken for the disbandment of the PKK, and that Turkey would follow the process closely.

The group, classified as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union, held its congress on Friday to heed the call of its jailed leader to lay down arms, disband and enter a peace initiative with the Turkish state.

Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the PKK's decision was “an important stage in terms of the goal of a 'terror-free Turkey'” – a phrase Turkish government officials have used to describe overtures to the PKK.

Ocalan’s call in February ordering the dissolution came after a months-long process initiated by an ally of Mr Erdogan – the ultranationalist politician Devlet Bahceli – for Abdullah Ocalan to be given greater freedom in exchange for the PKK’s dissolution.

The PKK said it believes Kurdish political parties will fulfil their responsibilities by developing Kurdish democracy to “ensure democratic Kurdish nationhood”.

Kurdish officials, including those in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, have framed the talks with Turkey as dialogue aimed at peace and ensuring rights for Turkey's ethnically Kurdish citizens, who make up around one-fifth of the population. Turkey has continued striking the group's positions in the Kurdistan region.

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15. AFP
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15. AFP

Mr Fidan on Friday said disarmament alone was not sufficient, while Mr Erdogan has continued to publicly call for the group's eradication.

The PKK had previously said it would not heed any calls to disarm unless Ocalan was released from jail and a meeting could take place in person.

Many questions remain about how the PKK disarmament process will work in practice. It remains unclear if members will be granted an amnesty, and if those in Iraq and Syria will be allowed to return to Turkey.

The fate of imprisoned Kurdish politicians and militants also remains unclear. Ocalan is serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, where he has been imprisoned since he was captured in Kenya in February 1999.

Berkay Mandiraci, Turkey analyst for International Crisis Group, told The National that Ankara's response to the decision will determine what happens next. “The Kurdish side is looking for some kind of a formalisation of the process – a law passed in parliament, so there is more clarity on the process,” he said.

It is difficult to envisage the process being disrupted, he added. Both Ankara and the PKK seem willing to make it work, “which makes one hopeful”, he said.

Turkish politicians have indicated that the disarming and dissolution process will not happen overnight and have said that it must extend to all branches and offshoots of the PKK.

“This decision must be implemented in practice and realised in all its dimensions,” Mr Celik added. “The concrete and complete implementation of the 'dissolution' and 'surrender of arms' decision, which will close all branches and extensions of the PKK and its illegal structures, will be a turning point. This process will be meticulously monitored in the field by our state institutions.”

The PKK was founded by Ocalan in 1978 and has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades, with about 40,000 killed on both sides. In recent years, the group's activity has been limited to the mountainous areas of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq and Syria, where PKK offshoots developed a presence.

The pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party, also known as DEM Party, played a crucial role in mediating between the PKK and Ankara and has welcomed the congress.

On Sunday, the party announced the formation of the Democratic Unity Initiative, describing it as a “civil society platform” aimed at uniting Kurds across Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran to “build a democratic life”.

Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, said authorities are ready to offer support “for the success of this historic opportunity”.

He said in a statement posted on X: “Now is the time and all eyes are on this important step to be responded to with further positive and necessary steps by all parties concerned.”

Turkish government director of communications Fahrettin Altun said in a post on X that the process “is not a short-term and shallow process” that had emerged overnight. “Nor is it a process that will end very quickly from today to tomorrow,” he added, indicating that there is work still to be done to ensure that the PKK's pledge to disarm becomes reality.

RACE CARD

5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
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7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
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8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

On sale: now

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

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First-round leaderbaord

-5 C Conners (Can)

-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);

-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)

Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)

Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng) 

1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)

3 R McIlroy (NI)

4 D Johnson (US)

The bio

Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions

School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Scores in brief:

Day 1

New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38

Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Calls

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

4/5

FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)

Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)

Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)

PROFILE BOX

Company name: Overwrite.ai

Founder: Ayman Alashkar

Started: Established in 2020

Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

Sector: PropTech

Initial investment: Self-funded by founder

Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

Results:

6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m

Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m

Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m

Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m

Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m

Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor

Draw for Europa League last-16

Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe

Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United

RESULT

Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City:
D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Updated: May 12, 2025, 12:03 PM