The PKK terrorist group is considering laying down arms in response to a major political call in Türkiye but the formal announcement is going to take a “little longer” to arrive, according to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The PKK on Friday announced had it made “historic” decisions during its long-awaited congress earlier this week. The terrorist group, however, stopped short of saying whether it had resolved to disband and disarm as part of a new terror-free Türkiye initiative aimed at ending its four-decade terror campaign.
The PKK held a congress in two locations in northern Iraq between May 5-7, according to a statement carried by the Firat News Agency, a media organization close to the terrorist group.
The PKK said the historic decisions taken during the congress would be shared with the public soon.
In February, the PKK's jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, called on his group to convene a congress to dissolve itself and disarm to end the campaign that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s.
He was responding to a call from government ally Devlet Bahçeli who first launched the initiative last year when he unexpectedly shook hands with lawmakers of the opposition Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) during the inauguration of the new session of Parliament. The move was surprising as Bahçeli is known for his staunch opposition to DEM’s very existence due to its links to the PKK,
Bahçeli also suggested Öcalan could come to the parliamentary group meeting of DEM and announce the dissolution of PKK.
According to Fidan, Turkish officials now expect a formal announcement. "But apparently, we will have to wait a little longer to hear the organization's response to this historic call," he told 24 TV in a live interview on Friday night.
Fidan urged a peaceful and legal political process:
"Everyone needs to work toward building a ground where there will be no weapons, illegality will end, and people will advance their politics in a civilized way through legal means. Ending illegality means more than just laying down arms."
Even if the PKK does not disarm, Fidan said Türkiye is prepared. "We are hopeful, but even if it doesn't happen, it is not the end of the world.... But if it does happen, it would mean an end to innocent young people going to the mountains, to bloodshed, and to the constant threat to our societal unity."
He criticized those in the PKK who serve foreign interests: "I don't think the people in the organization are very satisfied anymore either. Continuing their existence by serving other countries -- how honorable is that? That's also a debatable issue."
Turning to regional conflicts, Fidan explained that Türkiye is working for peace and stability across its region.
Speaking about Syria, he said: "(With the new Syrian administration) We are in certain consultations with our brothers there."
He emphasized that Türkiye supports Syria's unity and said the new leadership in Syria is aware of Türkiye's importance. Fidan also pointed out that sanctions by the EU and the US on Syria need to be addressed through dialogue.
He said Türkiye is encouraging the Syrian administration to engage with other countries to rebuild international relations.
On Iraq, Fidan noted that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani recently visited Türkiye and said Iraq is slowly becoming more stable and focusing on helping its people.
Talks with Israel, humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Fidan confirmed that talks with Israel were recently held in Azerbaijan to avoid further conflict in the region. "We should reach the maximum outcome possible through words and avoid leaving too much room for other efforts prematurely."
He condemned Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip as a genocide. "Two million civilians are struggling with hunger, and deaths from hunger and disease are now surpassing those from conflict," he said.
He said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to prepare for US President Donald Trump's visit to the region. "We extensively discussed what kind of common language or focus could be presented during Mr. Trump's visit to the region."
Fidan stressed that global leaders must act together to stop the suffering in Gaza: "I definitely believe it is possible if joint action is taken."
Fidan also touched on ties with the U.S., especially with Trump returning to the international stage.
"Türkiye-U.S. relations must be exceptionally good. Both leaders agree on this," he said.
He indicated that both sides want to go beyond political and security matters and focus more on trade and technology: "Both teams are working on this," he said.
Fidan also argued Türkiye’s bid for EU membership is being blocked by France and Germany for domestic political reasons.
Fidan said Türkiye's application to join the EU is being blocked by two key countries:
"We see that it is currently not embraced by the two countries that are the founding and driving forces of the EU, and that this is mainly sustained for domestic political reasons," he said.
The minister noted that Balkan and Southern European countries are more supportive, but the main roadblock comes from France and Germany.
Fidan also revealed that there had been an assassination attempt on him, noting that he was the target of poisoning.
"We were poisoned and received treatment. I was given heavy arsenic and mercury. It happened somewhere, then it was revealed in the tests. It has been 4-5 years," he said, leaving the details vague about when and where the attempt happened.
Asked about who made the attempt, Fidan said, "Let's not go into those details. Those are issues that happen outside. There are not only enemies inside, there are enemies everywhere."
Noting that the attempt did not hold him back from his duties, Fidan said he is serving his nation, regardless of the conditions.
