Kurdish militants declare a ceasefire in a 40-year insurgency in Turkey
[March 01, 2025]
By ANDREW WILKS
ISTANBUL (AP) — Kurdish militants who have waged a 40-year insurgency in
Turkey declared a ceasefire on Saturday in what could mark a significant
boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, two days after
their imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm.
The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, comes against
the backdrop of fundamental changes in the region, including the
reconfiguration of power in neighboring Syria after the toppling of
President Bashar Assad, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement
in Lebanon and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has led to tens of thousands of
deaths since it began in 1984. The ceasefire is the first sign of a
breakthrough since peace talks between the PKK and Ankara broke down in
the summer of 2015.
The PKK declaration was published by the Firat News Agency, a media
outlet close to the group, on Saturday. It referred to the insurgents'
leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned by Turkey since 1999.
“We declare a ceasefire effective today to pave the way for the
implementation of Leader Apo’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society.
None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” it said,
referring to Ocalan by his nickname.
A ceasefire follows a campaign of pressure on Kurds
On Thursday, a delegation of Kurdish politicians announced Ocalan’s call
for the PKK to lay down its arms and disband after visiting him on his
island prison.

In its statement, the PKK's executive committee said Ocalan’s call
indicated that a “new historical process has begun in Kurdistan and the
Middle East.” Kurdistan refers to the parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and
Iran inhabited by Kurds.
While stating that it would “comply with and implement the requirements
of the call from our own side,” the PKK emphasized that “democratic
politics and legal grounds must also be suitable for success.”
Ocalan's call came as the main pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey has
faced pressure, with several of its mayors being removed from office in
recent months and replaced by government appointees.
The PKK also appealed for Ocalan to be released from Imrali prison,
located in the Marmara Sea, to “personally direct and execute” a party
congress that would lead to the militants laying down their arms.
The peace initiative between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is
considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies,
was started in October by Erdogan’s coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli, a
far-right politician who suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole
if his group renounces violence and disbands.
Erdogan said Ocalan’s message was a “new phase” in peace efforts in
Turkey.
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Youngsters hold a photograph of the jailed leader of the rebel
Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, Abdullah Ocalan as they gather to
watch live on a tv screen a Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and
Democracy Party, or DEM, delegation members releasing an statement
from Ocalan, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP
Photo/Metin Yoksu)

“There is an opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down
the wall of terror that has stood between (Turkish and Kurdish
peoples’) 1,000-year-old brotherhood,” Erdogan said on Friday.
Erdogan's allies eye Kurdish support for changing the constitution
Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for
Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new
constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028,
when his term ends.
Bahceli has openly called for a new constitution, saying it was
essential for Turkey's future that Erdogan remain in power. Erdogan
and Bahceli are reportedly seeking parliamentary support from the
pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.
“There will be a series of meetings next week, including state
officials and politicians, and many things will become clearer and
more concrete. We hope that everything will be arranged in the next
three months,” said Sirri Sureyya Onder, one of the DEM members who
visited Ocalan in prison on Thursday.
Ocalan, 75, wields significant influence in the Kurdish movement
despite his 25-year imprisonment, during which the PKK has been led
by top figures who have fled and found sanctuary in the Kurdish
region in northern Iraq.
In Syria, Kurdish fighters — who have ties to the PKK — have been
involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces on the
ground there.
The leader of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
has said Ocalan’s call for a ceasefire does not apply to his group
in Syria.

The Turkish government, however, says all Kurdish groups it claims
are tied to the PKK — whether in Turkey, Syria or Iraq — must
disband.
In recent years, the PKK has been limited to isolated attacks inside
Turkey as the Turkish military, backed by armed drones, has pushed
PKK insurgents increasingly across the mountainous border into Iraq.
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