Kurdish militants announced a ceasefire Saturday in their four-decade conflict with Turkey, potentially marking a significant breakthrough for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government following their imprisoned leader’s call to disarm.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declaration comes amid sweeping regional changes, including power shifts in neighboring Syria following President Bashar Assad’s overthrow, Hezbollah’s weakening in Lebanon, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The conflict, which began in 1984, has caused tens of thousands of deaths. This ceasefire represents the first major breakthrough since peace negotiations collapsed in summer 2015.
“We declare a ceasefire effective today to pave the way for the implementation of Leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” the PKK stated in a declaration published by Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group, referring to Abdullah Ocalan by his nickname.
The announcement follows Thursday’s visit by Kurdish politicians to Ocalan at his island prison, where the 75-year-old leader called for the PKK to lay down arms and disband.
In its statement, the PKK’s executive committee described Ocalan’s call as signaling a “new historical process has begun in Kurdistan and the Middle East,” referring to Kurdish-inhabited regions across Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.
While agreeing to implement the directive, the PKK emphasized that “democratic politics and legal grounds must also be suitable for success.” The timing coincides with increased pressure on Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish political party, which has seen several mayors removed from office and replaced with government appointees in recent months.
The militants also requested Ocalan’s release from Imrali prison in the Marmara Sea to “personally direct and execute” a party congress that would facilitate disarmament.
This peace initiative began in October when Erdogan’s coalition partner, far-right politician Devlet Bahceli, suggested Ocalan could receive parole if his organization renounced violence and disbanded.
President Erdogan called Ocalan’s message a “new phase” in peace efforts. “There is an opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror that has stood between (Turkish and Kurdish peoples’) 1,000-year-old brotherhood,” he said Friday.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz responded to the ceasefire announcement on social media: “A new phase has been entered towards the goal of a terror-free Turkey. We hope that this opportunity will be seized, this effort will be concluded quickly and successfully.”
Political analysts suggest the reconciliation effort may aim to secure Kurdish support for constitutional changes that would allow Erdogan to remain in power beyond his term’s 2028 end. Bahceli has openly advocated for such changes, stating Erdogan’s continued leadership is essential for Turkey’s future.
The government is reportedly seeking parliamentary backing from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM). Sirri Sureyya Onder, a DEM member who visited Ocalan, said: “There will be a series of meetings next week, including state officials and politicians, and many things will become clearer and more concrete. We hope that everything will be arranged in the next three months.”
Despite 25 years of imprisonment, Ocalan maintains significant influence over the Kurdish movement, which has been led in his absence by figures operating from northern Iraq’s Kurdish region.
