PKK Ready for Dissolution under Conditions: Peace Process in Turkey
Turkish Peace Process Remains Intact Despite Kurdish Party PKK's Position
Catch up on the latest development with the Kurdish Worker's Party PKK. In a shocking move, they've agreed to dissolve the banned party under specific conditions, following a call from their founder, Abdullah Öcalan, back in February. The PKK's statement was released on International Labor Day, May 1, as reported by the PKK-linked news agency ANF.
The PKK has been diligently working towards this goal for the past two months. Regarding the peace process, they've assured that they don't intend to rush or sabotage the proceedings.
The PKK's conditions revolve around altering the Turkish prison island of Imrali to enable Öcalan's freedom and to lead a much-anticipated PKK party congress. During this assembly, as per Öcalan's call, the PKK is expected to decide on disarmament and dissolution.
Turkey has consistently rejected the PKK's demands, including a unilateral ceasefire declared by the PKK, and calls for immediate disarmament and dissolution. They've continued their operations against the PKK, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently stating, "We expect the PKK organization to positively respond to the call as soon as possible."
The pro-Kurdish party HDP stands in agreement with Öcalan leading the congress. HDP heads an initiative aimed at mediating a fresh peace process and resolving the Kurdish conflict between the PKK and the government.
Now, let's delve deeper into the PKK's conditions:
- Öcalan’s Liberation: The PKK demands Öcalan's physical freedom as a prerequisite for the party congress. They insist on his direct involvement, refusing to disarm without his leadership.
- Secure Environment and Legal Framework: The group requires a safe environment, a mutual ceasefire, and a legal mechanism to oversee peace negotiations. This includes assurances against military escalations during talks.
- Constitutional Recognition: The PKK seeks changes in the constitution to acknowledge Kurdish political and cultural rights, including language protections and autonomy within a democratic framework.
- Cessation of Hostilities: Although the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire on 1 March 2025, they assert their right to self-defense if attacked. The group has criticized Turkey’s continued military operations against alleged PKK-linked targets in Iraq and Syria.
While Turkey has yet to meet these conditions, the ongoing stalemate underscores the complexity of resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey.
- Despite Turkey's ongoing rejection, the PKK's stated conditions for dissolution include the liberation of their founder, Abdullah Öcalan, as a necessary prerequisite for the PKK party congress.
- The PKK insists on a secure environment and a legally binding mechanism to oversee peace negotiations, including mutual ceasefires and agreements against military escalations during talks.
- Recognition of Kurdish political and cultural rights, including language protections and autonomy within a democratic framework, is another demand of the PKK in the ongoing peace process.
- The PKK sees a cessation of hostilities as essential, asserting their right to self-defense if attacked, and have criticized Turkey’s continued military operations against alleged PKK-linked targets in Iraq and Syria.
- In line with the peace process, the pro-Kurdish party HDP has agreed with the proposal of a PKK party congress, aiming to mediate a fresh peace process and resolve the Kurdish conflict between the PKK and the government.
