A imprisoned PKK leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has called on the Kurdish Workers’ Party to end its armed struggle in Turkey, according to a statement from the pro-Kurdish party DEM, released on Thursday following a meeting with Öcalan in prison.
The historic appeal had been hinted at in recent days. The consequences for Turkey, should the PKK indeed disband and lay down its arms, remain unclear. The party has been fighting in Turkey and some neighboring countries for the political autonomy of Kurdish regions since the 1980s and is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the US, among others.
The PKK was founded in 1978 and has been engaged in a conflict with the Turkish state since the 1980s. Peace talks have repeatedly failed in the past. Öcalan has been in Turkish custody since 1999 and it is still unclear whether he would be released if a peace agreement were to be reached.