The future of the PKK

The enemy from the right is behind the call for peace

The movement towards peace that has now resulted in the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan calling on his organization to lay down its arms began in October, reports the AP.

At that time, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right nationalist party MHP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's coalition partner, suggested that Öcalan could be pardoned if the PKK renounced violence as a method and disbanded, the news agency writes.

The MHP is known as a fierce opponent of the Kurdish cause and its unofficial military wing is the infamous Grey Wolves.

PKK leader: Lay down arms for peace with Turkey

Terrorist-labeled Kurdish PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan is calling on his organization to lay down arms and disband, reports AFP.

Ocalan sees this as part of the peace process with Turkey, reports AP.

"All armed groups must lay down arms and the PKK must disband itself," Ocalan said in a statement.

The statement was read out in Istanbul by members of the pro-Kurdish DEM party who are said to have visited him in prison earlier in the day, reports Reuters.

The 75 or 76-year-old PKK leader is serving a life sentence and has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999.

The conflict between the PKK and Turkey has lasted for four decades and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Turkey expert on the announcement: “Potentially epoch-making”

The fact that the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is calling for his organization to be dissolved could be of great significance, believes Turkey expert Paul Levin.

– It is potentially epoch-making. This is an armed conflict that has been going on in Turkey since the mid-1980s, and which has led to around 40-50,000 deaths, he tells Ekot.

The fact that the demand comes at this time is timely for President Erdogan, according to Levin. He probably hopes to weaken the opposition and win support from the pro-Kurdish DEM party to get a new constitution that allows him to remain in office for another term.