The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US, has declared a ceasefire in its conflict with the Turkish state following an appeal from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down arms. This development comes days after Ocalan’s call for disarmament and the dissolution of the PKK’s armed structure. The PKK, which has been fighting for a Kurdish state or an autonomous region in Turkey’s southeast since the 1980s, has indicated a shift from seeking an independent state in recent statements.

In a statement cited by a PKK-aligned news agency, the group expressed hope for Ocalan’s release, which it claims would facilitate the disarmament process. The full extent of the PKK’s intentions to relinquish its demand for an independent state remains to be seen.

The PKK, Ocalan, and the Turkish government’s response to the proposed ceasefire will determine the future of the conflict, which has already claimed the lives of approximately 40,000 people.

Key Points

The PKK has declared a ceasefire in response to an appeal from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down weapons and dissolve the PKK’s armed structure.

This represents a potential shift for the PKK, which has been fighting for a Kurdish state or an autonomous region in Turkey’s southeast since the 1980s.

The PKK hopes that Ocalan will be released to lead the disarmament and dissolution process.

The viability of the ceasefire and the future of the conflict depend on the PKK, Ocalan, and the Turkish government’s response to the proposal.

Some 40,000 people have died in the conflict.

More details to follow.