Kurdish militants declare ceasefire in 40-year insurgency in Turkey

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia declared an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the group.

Kurdish militants, who have waged a 40-year insurgency in Turkey, declared a ceasefire in what could mark a significant boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, the Associated Press reported.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK led to tens of thousands of deaths since it began in 1984. The ceasefire is the first sign of a breakthrough since peace talks between the PKK and Ankara broke down in the summer of 2015.

The PKK declaration was published by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group, on Saturday. It referred to the insurgents' leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned by Turkey since 1999.

“We declare a ceasefire effective today to pave the way for the implementation of Leader Apo’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” it said, referring to Ocalan by his nickname.

PKK's announcement came against the backdrop of fundamental changes in the region, including the reconfiguration of power in neighboring Syria after the toppling of President Bashar Assad, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement in Lebanon and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the report added.

What a ceasefire could mean?

If accepted by Turkey, the move could have wide-ranging implications for the region, while ending a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people since the PKK — now based in the mountains of northern Iraq — launched its armed insurgency in 1984.

It could give Erdogan a domestic boost and an historic opportunity to bring peace and development to southeast Turkey where the conflict has killed thousands and severely hurt the economy.

Meanwhile, the group said it hoped Ankara would give Ocalan, held in near total isolation since 1999, more freedoms so he can lead a disarmament process, adding that the necessary political and democratic conditions must be established for it to succeed.

‘Lay down arms’

Abdullah Ocalan on Thursday called on the PKK to lay down its arms and dissolve, a move that President Tayyip Erdogan's government and the opposition pro-Kurdish DEM party voiced support for.

On Thursday, a delegation of Kurdish politicians announced Ocalan’s call for the PKK to lay down its arms and disband after visiting him on his island prison.

In its statement, the PKK's executive committee said Ocalan’s call indicated that a “new historical process has begun in Kurdistan and the Middle East.” Kurdistan refers to the parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran inhabited by Kurds.

While stating that it would “comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side,” the PKK emphasized that “democratic politics and legal grounds must also be suitable for success.”

Ocalan's call came as the main pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey has faced pressure, with several of its mayors being removed from office in recent months and replaced by government appointees.

The PKK also appealed for Ocalan to be released from Imrali prison, located in the Marmara Sea, to “personally direct and execute” a party congress that would lead to the militants laying down their arms.

The peace initiative between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, was started in October by Erdogan’s coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli, a far-right politician who suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole if his group renounces violence and disbands.

Erdogan said Ocalan’s message was a “new phase” in peace efforts in Turkey.

“There is an opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror that has stood between (Turkish and Kurdish peoples’) 1,000-year-old brotherhood,” Erdogan said on Friday.

Erdogan's allies eye Kurdish support for changing the constitution

Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.

Bahceli has openly called for a new constitution, saying it was essential for Turkey's future that Erdogan remain in power. Erdogan and Bahceli are reportedly seeking parliamentary support from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.

“There will be a series of meetings next week, including state officials and politicians, and many things will become clearer and more concrete. We hope that everything will be arranged in the next three months,” said Sirri Sureyya Onder, one of the DEM members who visited Ocalan in prison on Thursday.

Ocalan, 75, wields significant influence in the Kurdish movement despite his 25-year imprisonment, during which the PKK has been led by top figures who have fled and found sanctuary in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

In Syria, Kurdish fighters — who have ties to the PKK — have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces on the ground there.

The leader of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has said Ocalan’s call for a ceasefire does not apply to his group in Syria.

The Turkish government, however, says all Kurdish groups it claims are tied to the PKK — whether in Turkey, Syria or Iraq — must disband.

In recent years, the PKK has been limited to isolated attacks inside Turkey as the Turkish military, backed by armed drones, has pushed PKK insurgents increasingly across the mountainous border into Iraq.

(With inputs from AP)