After PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for laying down its arms, PKK's parent organization, the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) has made a statement in which they say they consider the call as a historic step towards peace. The administration also asked the government to fulfill its responsibilities.
"We consider Öcalan's call for a new congre to lay down the arms as a historic step. Regarding 40-year conflict, the government should take this call into consideration and meet the requirements regarding the ten articles that Öcalan emphasized."
Saying that they expect the government to take concrete steps and to have a political response to the call, the KCK administration stated, "As long as the government fulfills its responsibilities in the process, we openly declare that we will fulfill our obligations, as well. One should not forget that even a consolidated ceasefire is an important opportunity for solution steps in itself."
The statement includes the following:
"- There is no obstacle for taking steps towards democratization and Kurdish issue anymore.
- We have taken all necessary actions in the process. From now on, AKP's approach towards the new process will determine our steps.
- The president and the government emphasize sincerity and practice. After this declaration of intention and consolidated ceasefire, it is now the government's turn to show sincerity and practice.We would like to state that we will follow AKP's approaches and attitudes towards the new process.
- In order to improve the process and to reach a conclusion, it is important for the government to allow us to meet Öcalan. This will strengthen the seriousness of the statements and increase the support for a solution to the Kurdish issue.
- Forming the basis and content of the historic statement, the negotation titles aim to solve the problems of other outsiders like Alevis, as well."
KCK, an organization founded by Kongra-Gel (Kurdistan People's Congress), has been functioning as an umbrella organization covering the Kurds of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria since they were formed in 2005.
There are five main subdivisions of the KCK: the ideological front, the social front, the political front, the military front and the women's division. In addition to the PKK, some political parties are included in the organization such as the PJAK (The Free Life Party of Kurdistan) in Iran and the PYD (Democratic Union Party, in Kurdish) in Syria, as well as civil society organizations, and the PKK's armed wing, the HPG (People's Defense Forces, in Kurdish). In Iraq the party is called the PÇDK (Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party).
