PKK Urges Turkiye to Overcome 'Obstacles' in Peace Process
Two senior figures from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have urged Turkish authorities to remove what they described as ‘obstacles’ to progress in peace talks with Ankara, one year after the group announced its dissolution.
ISTANBUL: Two senior figures from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) urged Turkish authorities to remove what they described as 'obstacles' to progress in peace talks with Ankara, one year after the group announced its dissolution.
The pair, Mustafa Karasu and Sozdar Avesta, speaking in Kurdish and Turkish on camera from an unidentified location, called on the government to 'take the necessary legislative measures to ensure smooth progress.' They argued that recent statements made by Turkish officials claiming that the process is moving forward unhindered 'do not reflect the current situation.' According to them, the PKK has 'fulfilled its part beyond expectations.' Last year, the PKK formally renounced its armed struggle against the Turkish state after four decades of violence that killed at least 50,000 people on both sides.
The two PKK leaders also referred to the fate of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who has led efforts to end the conflict from his cell on Imrali island where he has been held in solitary confinement since 1999.
They said: 'We will only be able to talk about progress once the status of Leader Apo (Abdullah Ocalan) has been determined and he is granted the conditions allowing him to work freely.' They called for the 77-year-old to be granted a 'clearly established legal and political status' that would allow him to participate 'fully' in negotiations with the Turkish state.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main ally Devlet Bahceli — from the nationalist MHP party — also called on Tuesday for 'discussions' over the fate of Ocalan.
Bahceli said: 'The process cannot proceed healthily' unless the PKK leader has a 'defined role,' in an address to his party members in the parliament.
When Turkish politicians first extended an olive branch to Ocalan in October 2024, it came with a reference to the 'right to hope' — shorthand for a possible early release.
The pair, Mustafa Karasu and Sozdar Avesta, speaking in Kurdish and Turkish on camera from an unidentified location, called on the government to 'take the necessary legislative measures to ensure smooth progress.' They argued that recent statements made by Turkish officials claiming that the process is moving forward unhindered 'do not reflect the current situation.' According to them, the PKK has 'fulfilled its part beyond expectations.' Last year, the PKK formally renounced its armed struggle against the Turkish state after four decades of violence that killed at least 50,000 people on both sides.
The two PKK leaders also referred to the fate of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who has led efforts to end the conflict from his cell on Imrali island where he has been held in solitary confinement since 1999.
They said: 'We will only be able to talk about progress once the status of Leader Apo (Abdullah Ocalan) has been determined and he is granted the conditions allowing him to work freely.' They called for the 77-year-old to be granted a 'clearly established legal and political status' that would allow him to participate 'fully' in negotiations with the Turkish state.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main ally Devlet Bahceli — from the nationalist MHP party — also called on Tuesday for 'discussions' over the fate of Ocalan.
Bahceli said: 'The process cannot proceed healthily' unless the PKK leader has a 'defined role,' in an address to his party members in the parliament.
When Turkish politicians first extended an olive branch to Ocalan in October 2024, it came with a reference to the 'right to hope' — shorthand for a possible early release.
