Kurdish militants, who have waged a 40-year insurgency in Türkiye, declared a ceasefire on Saturday. The latest development comes after their imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm and is seen as a significant boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.
Here's what Erdogan said
“There is an opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror that has stood between (Turkish and Kurdish peoples') thousand-year-old brotherhood,” Erdogan said on Friday.
The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, can be attributed to the change in the geopolitical situation in the region, which includes the reconfiguration of power in neighbouring Syria after the toppling of President Bashar Assad, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement in Lebanon, and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Ceasefire comes as a breakthrough for peace
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which began in 1984, has led to the loss of thousands of lives. The ceasefire comes as a breakthrough and the first sign of peace since peace talks between the PKK and Ankara broke down in the summer of 2015.
The PKK declaration was published by a media outlet close to the group, the Firat News Agency, on Saturday. It referred to the insurgents' leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned by Turkiye since 1999. Erdogan said Ocalan's message was a “new phase” in peace efforts in Turkiye.
While stating that it would “comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side,” the PKK emphasised that “democratic politics and legal grounds must also be suitable for success.”
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 Turkiye, Iraq, Syria, and Iran inhabited by Kurds.
Ocalan's call came as the main pro-Kurdish political party in Turkiye has faced pressure, with several of its mayors being removed from office in recent months and replaced by government appointees.
The peace initiative between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkiye 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.
(With inputs from AP)