It is the beginning of the end for the PKK terrorist group after a historic call by its jailed leader to lay down arms. Abdullah Öcalan’s statements on Thursday marked a turning point in the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by government ally Devlet Bahçeli last year.
The much-anticipated call is viewed as Türkiye’s success to put an end to decades of campaign of violence. The country is now holding its breath to see whether the group would obey Öcalan’s call. A rejection will likely be followed by more counterterrorism operations by security forces in Türkiye, as well as beyond borders to stamp out the PKK threat.
The second option was reflected in the remarks of Efkan Ala, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Ala, who was interior minister when Türkiye first tried to resolve the terrorism issue without counterterrorism operations more than a decade ago, was the first high-level official to comment on Öcalan’s call on Thursday. “We will look at the result,” Ala told broadcaster A Haber.
“We will look at whether this result will be achieved," Ala said.
Stating that Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has taken resolute steps to remove terrorism from the country's agenda, Ala said that their main goal is a "Türkiye without terrorism." If the terror group heeds this call, lays down arms and dissolves itself, Türkiye "will be freed from its shackles," Ala further said.
It is becoming "clear" that terrorism cannot lead to any goal, Ala said, adding that it is expected that the terrorist group will properly evaluate this situation and make a decision to disband, dissolve itself and lay down its weapons. "If they (the PKK) do this, they will no longer be a burden or a shackle on Türkiye. Otherwise, Türkiye is already not showing any slowdown or hesitation in its fight against terrorism; it continues with determination," said Ala.
Öcalan’s statement was recited by a delegation of lawmakers from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), known for its links to the PKK. It came months after Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), stunned the nation by urging Öcalan to call on the PKK to lay down arms, preferably through a speech at Parliament where he would be brought after a temporary release.
Bahçeli has long been the fiercest defender of counterterrorism efforts and at one point in his political career, suggested the hanging of Öcalan after the latter was captured in Kenya in 1999. His outreach and the condition that PKK should not have another option other than dissolution, however, was consistent with his repeated calls for the unity of Turks and Kurds in the country. The terrorist group was founded by Öcalan under the pretext of reinstating the rights of the country’s Kurdish community and with the ultimate aim of autonomy for the community in the country’s southeast.
The PKK, whose senior cadres are hiding in a mountainous territory in Iraq’s north, has yet to respond to the call but they earlier signaled that they might heed the call. Although in prison for more than two decades, Öcalan is still revered by the group, which refers to him as “önderlik” ("leadership"). Murat Karayılan, a senior leader of the group, said last month that they were willing to lay down arms on the condition of a “bilateral cease-fire and end of confinement of Öcalan.” Ankara repeatedly said that counterterrorism operations would continue during the process, and the Ministry of National Defense announced one day before the call that the army eliminated six terrorists in Syria’s north.
Ending PKK terrorism will certainly serve Türkiye’s ambitious goal of becoming a major player in its region working for stability and security. For Erdoğan, it is one of the last obstacles to the rise of Türkiye as a major power. Türkiye has been at odds with Iraq over the presence of the PKK in its southern neighbor. Only after recent negotiations did Baghdad accept designating the PKK as a banned organization, stopping short of branding it as a terrorist group. The PKK is also a thorn in the side of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) controlling Iraq’s north. The group already poses a security threat to several towns in the region and drew support from a political rival of the Barzani family in power at the KRG.
The PKK’s dissolution may also benefit the DEM Party, which has often been the focus of investigations for its links to the terrorist group.
It will also further help the development of southeastern Türkiye, which has been a hotbed of PKK terrorism for decades and only recently saw a more stable environment allowing investments.
A report by Sabah newspaper says the government was ready to clarify its road map in the terror-free Türkiye initiative after Öcalan’s call. It says the focus on the road map will depend on the steps the terrorist group takes.
The report cites a waiting process of up to five months to see how the PKK responds to the call. Activities of the group’s subsidiaries in Europe and other countries will also be monitored to see whether they comply with the call.
The next stage will likely be launched in late June and according to Sabah, Öcalan will be allowed more visits to shape the path to disarmament.
Only after the official declaration of dissolution by the PKK will Turkish authorities begin a process on technical details, such as the fate of weapons the group has and how they would be collected. The process will also include discussions on the future of PKK members.
At a later stage, the government will ensure the continuation of the process through Parliament and under the name of “democratic transformation.” Regulations, legal amendments and a new counterterrorism bill will likely be drafted by Parliament to further the process.
