Jailed PKK leader urges party disbandment amid Syria-Kurdish tensions
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Öcalan's call for the PKK to dissolve itself comes as Turkey intensifies its military pressure on Kurdish groups in Syria.
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Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, delegation members release a statement from the jailed leader of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, center at the background photo, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has called on the group to lay down its arms and disband. In a letter read by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party on Thursday, Öcalan urged the PKK to convene a congress to formalize this decision.
"As in the case with any modern community and party whose existence has not been abolished by force, would voluntarily do, convene your congress and make a decision; all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself," he stated.
This call comes at a critical time, as the political landscape in Syria faces dramatic changes. The National Dialogue Conference, aimed at shaping Syria's political future, began on February 25, following the fall of Damascus to opposition forces and the resignation of Bashar al-Assad, who sought asylum in Russia. An interim government led by Mohammed Bashir, supported by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition factions, is now in power, with Ahmed Al-Sharaa serving as the transitional president.
The conference gathered about 600 participants, including women and members of religious minorities, to discuss rebuilding the country after nearly 14 years of war. It issued recommendations for a temporary constitutional declaration and forming an interim legislative council.
Kurdish Tensions
The conference is taking place amid ongoing negotiations with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) about their integration into the new Syrian state. The SDF controls significant areas in northern Syria and has been a key ally of the US occupation forces. However, the SDF faces resistance from Syria's new authorities, who demand the disbandment of all armed groups outside state control. The exclusion of the SDF from the conference has been heavily criticized by political parties within the Kurdish administration.
Tensions escalated further when Turkish drones targeted SDF positions in al-Hasakah on February 26. Turkey considers the SDF's main component, the YPG, as an extension of the PKK and has vowed to continue military operations unless the group disbands. Ankara has also issued demands, including the removal of foreign fighters and the surrender of SDF leadership.
Read more: Turkiye bombs SDF positions Syria's in al-Hasakah: Source
Öcalan's call for the PKK to dissolve itself comes as Turkey intensifies its military pressure on Kurdish groups in Syria. If the PKK disbands, it could weaken the political leverage of Kurdish groups in Syria and Turkey, as the PKK has been a symbolic and strategic force in Kurdish political movements.
