PKK calls on President Barzani to helm Kurdish-Turkiye talks
Shafaq News – Erbil
Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has urged Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani to take a leading role in reviving peace efforts between Kurds and Turkiye, Al-Monitor reported on Tuesday.
Ocalan, who has been held on the Turkish island of Imrali since 1999, sent a letter to Barzani last week calling on Kurdistan to “take the lead in efforts to end the war” between the Turkish military and PKK fighters, emphasizing that the outcome of these talks will have a direct impact on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
“The goal is to achieve a lasting solution based on democratic principles,” Ocalan continued, underscoring that “it is crucial for you to guide this process from now on.”
During a recent session at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) forum in Erbil, Barzani voiced confidence in Ankara’s commitment to maintain peace efforts, though progress has been slow.
He cautioned that “the PKK’s maneuvers could harm the Kurdish people and squander a historic opportunity to resolve the conflict,” referring to the group’s activities outside political channels that could obstruct any potential negotiations.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, disbanded and laid down its arms on May 12, ending more than four decades of conflict with the Turkish state that left over 40,000 people dead.
The move followed a February message from Ocalan from his Imrali prison cell urging PKK fighters to disarm and dissolve the organization.
Read more: PKK calls it quits: Peace on the horizon in Turkiye?
