A key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested on Thursday that the PKK terrorist group should hold a congress by May 4 to formally dissolve itself in line with the call from its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a statement that the PKK might convene its congress in the southeastern province of Muş.
Öcalan last month called on his group to lay down arms and dissolve, in what would mark en end of more than four decades of PKK's campaign of terrorism targeting Türkiye.
Bahçeli has spearheaded the "terror-free Türkiye" initiative for the group to disband. He paved the way for the initiative as he unexpectedly courted the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in the reopening of Parliament last autumn. DEM is known for its intricate links with the terrorist group.
Bahçeli on Thursday urged the PKK to heed the call made by Öcalan on Feb. 27. "The PKK must convene its congress without delay, decide on its dissolution, lay down arms, and surrender them the Republic of Türkiye," he said.
He cautioned about the risks of postponing such a decision, warning of potential complications and provocations.
"The separatist terrorist organization must make an immediate decision. Our vision and proposal suggest that, on the eve of Hıdırellez, namely Sunday, May 4, 2025, the PKK should convene its congress in the Malazgirt district of Muş, with the support, contribution, and assistance of the DEM Party-affiliated mayor, to put an end to discussions of dissolution and finalize this matter," said Bahçeli.
The harbinger of spring, Hıdırellez is one of the seasonal holidays celebrated in the Turkic world. It starts on the eve of May 5 and rolls into the next day.
