Türkiye has called on the PKK terrorist group to expedite the process of its widely anticipated dissolution following a call from its jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to disband.
“The terrorist group must announce as soon as possible the date of its congress where it will decide to end activities, including all of its offshoots, dissolve itself and unconditionally lay down arms,” Defense Ministry sources said Thursday.
Anticipation is building in Türkiye’s terror-free initiative to end four decades of PKK violence.
Last month, the terrorist group declared a cease-fire in response to Öcalan’s call for disarmament, marking a big step toward ending a campaign that has left more than 40,000 people dead and could have regional security and political ramifications.
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has served as a messenger between Öcalan and the state for its intricate links to the group. The party is currently seeking a second visit to Öcalan in time for Nevruz, a significant occasional heralding the arrival of spring and vital for the Kurdish community.
Ankara insists that the current initiative should be unilateral first and is waiting for the results of the PKK congress to convene.
The congress will pave the way for the group to lay down arms and dissolve itself as Öcalan envisioned.
The PKK said it was ready to convene the congress but demanded a "secure environment" and attendance of Öcalan, who's serving a life sentence in prison, to lead the congress personally "to guarantee its success."
Ankara has shifted to the wait-and-see stage in the terror-free Türkiye initiative after Öcalan’s call, saying that it should either heed disarmament calls or face total annihilation.
After meetings with the DEM Party in Parliament, Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said the party is "not engaging in a negotiation or a give-and-take."
"Our priority in this matter is for the PKK to lay down its arms completely,” he said.
The government has also denied any concessions to the PKK or Öcalan in exchange for dissolution, including the “right of hope” for Öcalan, a kind of parole, or general amnesty for PKK members.
Defense Ministry sources on Thursday also responded to questions about European security architecture and Türkiye’s contributions.
“Türkiye’s place within the European security architecture is determined by not Europe’s expectations but our national rights and interests,” the sources told reporters.
They stressed that Türkiye, a member of NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE), and a candidate for EU, is an “inseparable” part of European security.
They praised the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as an “indispensable” actor for regional and global security and stability thanks to its “advanced weapons systems, dissuasive and reputable qualities and ever-increasing capabilities.”
Türkiye, with NATO's second-largest army and a Black Sea coastline, is looking to play a key role in Europe's security after Washington's pivot away from the region. After two rounds of crisis talks on Ukraine and security following Washington's change of policy, Ankara has been quick to warn that European defenses cannot be ensured without its involvement.
