The group added that “we will not take any military action unless none of our troops are attacked,” but said such decisions can only be captured under his direct guidance within a broader political process.
Öcalan’s call lies in political signals from the Turkish ruling coalition, suggesting a PKK leader who has been imprisoned on an island off Istanbul since 1999, but could grant parole if the group dissolved. In his message, Öcalan argued that armed struggles were no longer a viable solution, and urged Kurdish political movements to seek democratic participation.
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the development and called Öcalan’s appeal a “historic opportunity” to end the conflict. His government signaled closely to monitor the situation to ensure full PKK dissolution, but requested that related groups in Iraq and Syria follow the lawsuit.
Nacho Sanchez Amor, a Spanish socialist MP who is the chief member of the European Parliament on Turkish relations, described Ocaran’s call as “a historic step,” urging both sides to seize the moment for an inclusive political solution.
Designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the US, the PKK had been in rebellion against the Turkish state since 1984, initially sought an independent Kurdish state and later changed the demands for greater autonomy and rights of Kurds. Past ceasefire attempts, particularly the peace process from 2013 to 2015, collapsed amid a new violence.
