The PKK faces a do-or-die situation after decades of a campaign of terrorism targeting Türkiye. After the initial positive response to a call by its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to lay down arms and dissolve last month, the group is expected to hold “a congress” in Iraq, likely next month, to chart its future, media reports said this week.
In the meantime, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who spearheaded the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative for the group to lay down arms, repeated his call on Sunday in a lengthy written statement. Bahçeli also suggested that the PKK hand over its “bloodied weapons” to the Republic of Türkiye instead of burying them.
Government ally Bahçeli 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 later revealed his true intention in his seemingly warm discussions with DEM lawmakers he once lambasted for links to the terrorists. In a historic speech at Parliament, he urged the state to accommodate conditions for Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the PKK who was sentenced to life after his capture in Kenya in 1999, to speak at the parliamentary group meeting of DEM, adding that Öcalan should call the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve in this speech. The call by a hawkish politician who always advocated strict military offensives to eradicate the PKK kicked off the initiative, which received the endorsement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well as some opposition parties.
Though not in Parliament, Öcalan made the expected call on Feb. 27 through a letter read by lawmakers of DEM who repeatedly visited him in the Imralı island prison where he was held. The PKK responded positively, while its Syrian wing, YPG, announced that it might not heed the call.
The Sabah newspaper reported on Saturday that the PKK would convene a gathering in Iraq where its fugitive senior cadres are in hiding. The gathering is expected to be held within a month, and the steps for dissolution will be discussed. Its venue will likely be Sulaymaniyah, a northern Iraqi city that has been plagued by the dominance of the terrorist group, which draws support from some local groups there.
Members of the PKK from around Iraq, neighboring Syria, as well as from European countries, are expected to show up for the gathering. The newspaper reported that the Iraqi security forces were ready to provide security for the gathering and that the Turkish intelligence service would also take measures against “any sabotage attempts by intelligence services of other countries.” After the announcement of dissolution, PKK members are expected to hand over their weapons in locations that would be selected in Iraq, Syria and Türkiye through a special mechanism set up in coordination between Türkiye and Iraq. Turkish authorities believe some PKK members may not lay down arms, particularly those involved in lucrative drug, weapons and human trafficking, where the group earned about $40 billion.
The next phase will be the status of PKK’s senior members. The Sabah report says senior members would not be allowed to enter Türkiye, while a separate mechanism would be run for those without criminal records (engagement in acts of terrorism). Under existing laws, members of terrorist groups benefit from lenient sentences in exchange for collaboration with authorities if they were not involved in any acts of terrorism during their time with the terrorist group. The laws helped several families of PKK members to reunite with their sons and daughters who were brainwashed to join the group while they were still minors. The report says that only after weapons are handed over can the Turkish Parliament set up a committee to oversee the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
Although the PKK may proceed with the initiative’s requirements, the YPG will not likely listen to Öcalan, although it is led by a senior terrorist who was once very close to the PKK leader. In his statements on Sunday, Bahçeli highlighted this fact and said the PKK and its affiliated groups should “immediately lay down arms without any condition and hand over their bloody weapons to the Republic of Türkiye.”
Bahçeli said the initiative's goal was to bring peace to Türkiye and the region “with the spirit of unity and brotherhood.” “This bloody calamity that has plagued our nation for decades is finally coming to an end,” he said. The PKK launched its campaign in the early 1980s in a bid for a so-called Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye. In the process, thousands of people, from military and police officers to civilians, were killed in terror attacks.
Highlighting that the shadow of terrorism on political and democratic life can no longer be tolerated, Bahçeli said: "The Turkish nation will not bow to external and internal pressures, nor will it be trapped by threats. There is no safe harbor or middle ground between terrorism and democracy, weapons and politics, chaos and peace, or division and unity. Our noble nation takes action with its sacred will and faith to overcome its ill fate. The 41-year wreckage of terrorism and separatism will be removed through collective effort, common sense and sincere, genuine, patient and trustworthy initiatives. The bloody traces of terrorism will be erased and its remnants will be entirely eliminated. To prevent setbacks, misunderstandings, and disruptions to the optimistic progress, utmost attention, responsibility, care, and vigilance are required."
He described the initiative as an opportunity that must not be neglected or violated, stating: "This opportunity must be seized with common understanding, wisdom and foresight, without falling into delusions. If the DEM Party maintains its prudent, calm and constructive stance along with consistent and stable steps, its path to becoming a party for all of Türkiye will be opened,” he said. Bahçeli has long advocated for the closure of DEM’s spiritual predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which transferred most of its cadres to the Green Left Party (YSP) before it ceased to exist and YSP evolved into DEM.
Bahçeli criticized any claims that the YPG and similar terrorist movements linked to the PKK are exempt from this call. "The founder of the terrorist group has demanded its dissolution. Playing for time, muddying the waters, disrupting the positive agenda, and intensifying demands for political and legal concessions are acts of recklessness. Those attempting to impose a hybrid national identity or recklessly challenge the constitutional definition of Turkish citizenship are merely scheming to derail the terror-free Türkiye mobilization. If this mobilization succeeds, the true beneficiaries will be all those who share in our common destiny, basking in the immense peace and prosperity that will emerge,” he said. Terror-free Türkiye was not without its opponents, namely some supporting the PKK and certain opposition parties that sought to portray it as a betrayal of the memory of PKK victims and claimed the state negotiated with terrorists.
Bahçeli stated that the public conscience unequivocally supports the complete and permanent eradication of terrorism. He stressed that there is no division in achieving this goal as swiftly as possible, adding, "Those who exploit the fluctuating political landscape to prolong, delay, or even sabotage the resolution of this grave issue will have to bear guilt for it. Our country is determined to build a future free of terrorism through political consensus and social solidarity. Without a doubt, terrorism is a grave crime against humanity. It is a disregard for the humanitarian heritage and trust we hold. The Turkish nation is neither condemned nor obligated to live with terrorism. The PKK and its affiliated groups must immediately and unconditionally lay down their arms and surrender their weapons to the Republic of Türkiye."
Bahçeli rejected the notion of a cease-fire as the PKK declared immediately after Öcalan’s call. “For a cease-fire to be valid, there must be an environment where equal and sovereign forces are engaged in a legitimate and legal struggle. However, any such proposal in this case is nothing more than a unilateral stalling tactic and a futile endeavor,” Bahçeli said.
He underscored that in a period of major global political and strategic upheavals, the complete disarmament of the terrorist organization and its affiliates is an irreplaceable necessity. He pointed out the increasing geopolitical tensions and the urgent need for national unity and solidarity, stating: "The separatist terrorist group must heed the Feb. 27 call from its founding leadership and sever all ties with weapons and terrorism without any preconditions. Any other course of action or delay will neither be considered innocent nor reasonable."
"The goal of a Terror-Free Türkiye must be achieved immediately, and terrorism must be eradicated from our lives. Otherwise, whoever unlawfully carries a weapon will face the gravest consequences,” he concluded.
Bahçeli’s MHP will be among the parties visited by the DEM Party over the initiative. Last year, a small delegation of DEM lawmakers visited political parties at Parliament after their meeting with Öcalan to convey the latter’s message to the Turkish opposition. A similar round of talks will be held this week, this time DEM’s co-chairs accompanying other lawmakers. The delegation will meet the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), on Monday. Meetings are scheduled with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and MHP on March 17.
Media reports say DEM will discuss “democratization” and “setting up a committee at Parliament” with opposition parties. "Democratization" refers to more rights for the Kurdish community, which the PKK exploited for a long time to justify its campaign of terrorism, as well as DEM’s more notorious demand for more autonomy to municipalities it runs. The Sabah newspaper reported that DEM would also lobby for Öcalan to attend the “congress for dissolution” at least via video link.
