PKK urges Turkey to ease Ocalan's imprisonment

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agence France-Presse
21 May 2025 01:25

PKK urges Turkey to ease Abdullah Ocalan’s conditions and recognize him as chief negotiator following the group's formal dissolution and declared ceasefire.

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Supporters hold a photograph of the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, as they gather to watch live on a tv screen the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) delegation members releasing an statement from Ocalan, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on February 27, 2025. (AP)

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has called on Turkey to ease the prison conditions of its imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, declaring him the group's "chief negotiator" for any future peace process following its official dissolution.

In a written interview with AFP published Monday, PKK political spokesman Zagros Hiwa stressed that the Turkish state has yet to offer any concrete guarantees for peace, and rejected suggestions that PKK members be exiled as part of the group’s demilitarization.

PKK ends armed struggle after four decades

Earlier this month, the PKK announced the formal end of its armed struggle, following a ceasefire declaration and internal deliberations prompted by a letter from Ocalan, who has been held in solitary confinement on Turkey’s Imrali Island since 1999.

"As an organisation which has waged military struggle for 41 years, we have decided to dissolve and put an end to armed struggle," Hiwa said.

"By this, we give peace a real chance."

The disbandment, announced on May 12, marks a significant turning point in the decades-long conflict with the Turkish state, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Ocalan central to any future dialogue

Hiwa emphasized that Ocalan must be allowed to play a leading role in any future peace process.

"So from now on, we expect that the Turkish state makes amendments in the solitary confinement conditions" of Ocalan, he said, adding that the group demands "free and secure work conditions so that he could lead the process."

"Leader Apo is our chief negotiator," Hiwa stated, using Ocalan’s widely known nickname.

He asserted that only Ocalan could effectively oversee the implementation of the PKK’s decision to dissolve and guide talks toward a political settlement.

No guarantees, continued attacks

Despite the PKK's overtures, Hiwa said Turkey has not responded with reciprocal steps or guarantees, and continues to carry out attacks on PKK positions in northern Iraq.

“The Turkish state has not given any guarantees or taken any measures to facilitate the process,” he said. “It continues bombardments and artillery shellings.”

Turkey maintains a significant military presence in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, where the PKK has long operated rear bases, and regularly launches air and ground attacks against its fighters.

Exile not a solution, says PKK

Hiwa dismissed suggestions, reportedly circulated in Turkish media, that PKK fighters not involved in violence on Turkish soil may return, while leadership figures could face exile or remain in Iraq.

“Real peace requires integration, not exile,” Hiwa said, calling for legal reforms that would allow former PKK members to reintegrate into Turkish society.

“If the Turkish state is sincere and serious about making peace, it should make the necessary legal amendments so that PKK members would be integrated into a democratic society.”

The Kurdish population, an ethnic group in mountainous regions spanning Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, has long sought autonomy and recognition of cultural and political rights. In various parts of this region, Kurdish movements have also pursued the long-held aspiration of establishing an independent Kurdish state, a goal that has repeatedly clashed with regional governments and peoples.

Negotiations with Turkey may impact all Kurdish people

Hiwa noted that while the current process is strictly between the PKK and the Turkish state, it may still influence the broader Kurdish struggle across the region.

"The present process is between PKK and Turkey. No other party is involved," he said, but added that it "will surely have positive implications for the solution of the Kurdish question in other parts of Kurdistan."

His comments come amid ongoing tensions in northeastern Syria, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), regarded by Turkey as an extension of the PKK, remain a key US partner in the region.

“We don’t intervene in matters regarding the SDF,” Hiwa clarified

As of now, no formal negotiations between the PKK and Turkish authorities have been confirmed, though Hiwa acknowledged that "contacts and dialogues" are taking place at the Imrali prison.