Ankara [Turkey], March: The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group’s fighters to lay down their arms and disband. If Turkey accepts the declaration, it could mark the end of a conflict that has claimed at least 40,000 lives over several decades, affecting not just Turkey but neighboring countries as well.
The PKK Executive Committee released a statement, agreeing with Ocalan’s call, and announced they would comply with the call. “We declare a ceasefire effective as of today,” the statement, published by the Firat News Agency, said. The committee also praised Ocalan’s peace proposal, describing it as a manifesto that “illuminates the path of all forces of freedom and democracy.”
For a political resolution to succeed, the statement added, the “democratic politics and legal grounds must also be appropriate.” Ocalan’s peace initiative is considered a crucial development in the long-standing conflict between the PKK and Turkey, which has spanned almost 50 years. The original goal of the PKK was to establish an independent Kurdish state in Turkey’s southeast, but in recent years, the group has called for more autonomy within the country.
Ocalan’s peace call on Thursday marked a significant moment in the conflict. He urged the laying down of arms, taking “historical responsibility” for the appeal. His statement, read in the Turkish parliament, included a call for all groups to lay down their arms and for the PKK to dissolve itself.
In a rare move, Turkish lawmaker Devlet Bahceli, an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, invited Ocalan to parliament to publicly announce his decision to end the violence, which added a new dimension to the peace process.
The PKK’s decision to declare a ceasefire could have far-reaching consequences for the region, as it opens the possibility for peace after decades of violence.