Istanbul, Turkey – Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has issued an unprecedented call for his organisation to disarm and dissolve itself. His message, delivered through a letter read out by members of the pro-Kurdish Dem party, has raised hopes for an end to four decades of armed conflict in south-eastern Turkey.
The statement, read in both Kurdish and Turkish at a hotel in Istanbul, was presented by senior Dem party figures Ahmet Turk and Pervin Buldan. It followed a lengthy meeting between Ocalan and the MPs on Imrali, the heavily guarded island in the Sea of Marmara where he has been held in solitary confinement since his capture in 1999.
“There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realisation of a political system,” Ocalan’s letter read. “Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.” His appeal to PKK members was unambiguous: “All groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.”
The announcement comes after a surprise initiative by nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, a key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Bahceli, who has long advocated for military crackdowns on the PKK, recently shocked many by engaging with pro-Kurdish MPs in parliament. He suggested that if Ocalan renounced violence and formally disbanded the PKK, a pathway to parole could be considered.
A turning point in the Kurdish conflict?
Ocalan’s letter marks a potential turning point in a conflict that has cost around 40,000 lives since the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. The group, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, the UK, and the EU, has long justified its armed struggle as a response to state repression and the lack of democratic avenues for Kurdish political participation.
However, Ocalan acknowledged in his statement that conditions had changed. He cited a shift in political dynamics, notably Bahceli’s recent overtures and the broader political climate in Turkey, as providing the right environment for the PKK to stand down.
“We’ll look at the outcome,” said Efkan Ala, a senior figure in Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), hinting at cautious government support. Meanwhile, the main opposition party, the secularist CHP, has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the developments.
Among Kurdish politicians and intellectuals, Ocalan’s call has been met with cautious optimism. Thousands gathered in Kurdish-majority cities such as Diyarbakir and Van to watch the letter’s reading on large screens. Speaking to an audience in Istanbul, Dem MP Sirri Sureyya Onder described the moment as “a positive turning point in history.”
Doubts and resistance from within the PKK
Despite the historic nature of Ocalan’s appeal, serious doubts remain about whether the PKK will heed his call. Just last week, Duran Kalkan, a senior PKK commander, accused Erdogan’s government of insincerity. Speaking to a pro-PKK broadcaster, he warned that the ruling AKP was not seeking peace but “to take over, destroy and annihilate.”
Kalkan pointed to ongoing Turkish military operations against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq and north-eastern Syria as evidence that Ankara remains committed to a military solution. Turkish-backed Syrian groups have also intensified their attacks on Kurdish-led forces in Syria, calling for their elimination.
Furthermore, Kurdish politicians and activists continue to face harsh repression. Pro-Kurdish parties have been systematically targeted by arrests, with leading figures imprisoned on lengthy sentences. Last year, the former co-leaders of the now-banned HDP, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, received prison terms of 42 and 30 years respectively for their alleged role in deadly riots in 2014. Following their sentencing, the HDP reformed as the Dem party.
For many Kurds, this backdrop of state repression raises concerns about whether Turkey’s political establishment is truly willing to embrace a peaceful solution.
Turkish nationalists reject Ocalan’s call
While some in Turkey’s political mainstream have responded cautiously to Ocalan’s statement, others have outright rejected it. The nationalist Good Party (Iyi Parti) responded by hanging a large black banner from its headquarters in Ankara, bearing the message: “We will not forget, we will not let them be forgotten”—a reference to victims of PKK attacks.
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This sentiment is likely to be echoed by Turkey’s wider nationalist base, which remains deeply hostile to any negotiations with the PKK. The memory of recent attacks, including a PKK-claimed assault on Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara last October, which killed five people, remains fresh in the public consciousness.
What happens next?
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Ocalan’s statement leads to genuine progress. While his words carry weight within the PKK, the organisation is no longer solely under his control. Its leadership structure has evolved, with commanders based in the Qandil Mountains of Iraq holding significant power.
Moreover, Erdogan’s government has given no formal indication that it is willing to make political concessions in exchange for PKK disarmament. Past peace processes have ended in renewed violence, most notably in 2015, when a ceasefire collapsed, leading to some of the worst fighting in decades.
Nonetheless, for a region that has seen decades of bloodshed, Ocalan’s letter offers a rare glimmer of hope. Whether it will be the first step towards lasting peace or yet another false dawn remains to be seen.
