By Euronews
Revealed on
09/07/2025 – 15:33 GMT+2
The jailed chief of the outlawed Kurdistan Staff Occasion (PKK) on Wednesday once more urged his fighters to put down their arms, days earlier than a symbolic disarmament ceremony is about to happen as a primary concrete step in a peace course of with the Turkish state.
In a uncommon video message broadcast on media near the militant teams, Abdullah Ocalan stated the peace initiative had reached a stage that required sensible steps.
“It must be thought-about pure so that you can publicly make sure the disarmament of the related teams in a method that addresses the expectations of the (Turkish parliament) and its fee, dispels public doubts, and fulfills our commitments,” Ocalan stated within the video message, which he delivered flanked by fellow jailed PKK members.
“I consider within the energy of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I name on you to place this precept into observe.”
In his seven-minute video message, Ocalan’s first public look since being seen throughout his trial greater than twenty years in the past, the 76-year-old additionally expressed his help for the institution of a parliamentary committee to assist oversee the peace initiative.
The PKK chief — who has been imprisoned on an island close to Istanbul since 1999 — first urged the militant group in February to convene a congress and formally dissolve itself. Responding to his name, the PKK introduced in Might that it could disband and surrender armed battle, ending 4 many years of hostilities.
Ocalan’s name to finish the preventing marked a pivotal step towards ending the decades-long battle that has claimed tens of 1000’s of lives for the reason that Nineteen Eighties.
His video on Wednesday gave the impression to be aimed toward convincing fighters who should still be hesitant about abandoning armed wrestle.
“The part of armed wrestle has ended. This isn’t a loss, however a historic achieve,” he stated. “The armed wrestle stage should now be voluntarily changed by a part of democratic politics and legislation.”
Erdogan expresses hope
In a speech to lawmakers from his ruling occasion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated he anticipated imminent progress within the peace initiative, including that when firmly established, the trouble would profit not solely Turkey however the broader area. Erdogan additionally expressed hope that the method would advance with out makes an attempt to sabotage it.
“As soon as the wall of terror is torn city, God prepared, all the things will change. Extra ache and tears can be prevented,” Erdogan stated. “The winners of this (course of) would be the complete of Turkey — Turks, Kurds and Arabs. Then it is going to be our whole area.”
“We hope that this auspicious course of will conclude efficiently as quickly as doable, with none street accidents, and with out it being sabotaged by darkish and corrupt circles,” he stated.
In a primary step towards the PKK’s disarmament course of, a gaggle of its fighters is anticipated later this week to put down their arms in a symbolic ceremony to be held in Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish area.
Zagros Hiwar, a PKK spokesman, stated {that a} group of 20 to 30 fighters would descend from the mountains and destroy their weapons in entrance of NGOs and invited observers.
The PKK has lengthy maintained bases within the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkish forces have launched offensives and airstrikes towards the PKK in Iraq and have arrange bases within the space.
The Iraqi authorities in Baghdad introduced final 12 months an official ban on the separatist group, which has lengthy been prohibited in Turkey.
On Tuesday, Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, travelled to Baghdad to debate the peace course of and different safety points with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and different officers, the state-run Anadolu Company reported.
