No serious Turkish steps toward peace one year on – PKK
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Tuesday said that measures it undertook over the past year were not met with “serious political or legal steps” by the Turkish state toward advancing a peace process.
In a statement marking the first anniversary of the party’s dissolution conference, the PKK said a parliamentary committee formed to follow the process was “a positive step,” but added that the preparation of its report took a long time and that public opinion was not adequately prepared.
The group noted that although its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan, held in İmralı Prison, is the primary interlocutor, the parliamentary committee met him only once.
“In the end, the committee prepared a report which, despite its shortcomings, could have positive effects on the ground. However, its content and proposals have not yet been implemented. This shows that the authorities are not approaching the peace process and democratic society with seriousness and sincerity,” the statement said.
The PKK stated that over the past year it withdrew its forces from inside Turkey’s borders to areas outside, vacated some positions to avoid potential clashes, and handed over Turkish intelligence personnel captured in 2017.
It called on Turkish authorities to expedite the necessary legal steps to ensure the success of the peace process, saying that laying down arms and fully engaging in democratic politics are tied to concrete legal measures.
The group also urged Ankara to clarify Öcalan’s political status as the main interlocutor and to enable him to operate “in free conditions,” arguing that only under such circumstances can the process be properly managed and lead to tangible results.
On Feb. 27, 2025, Öcalan called on the PKK to dissolve itself and lay down its arms, a move that was widely welcomed regionally and internationally.
The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state dates back to 1984 and has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The group is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey’s Ministry of Interior, the United States Department of State, and the European Union.
Previous peace efforts, including talks between Ankara and Öcalan between 2013 and 2015, collapsed amid renewed fighting in southeastern Turkey.
Observers say the latest developments revive debate over whether a political framework can replace decades of armed confrontation, particularly if legal and constitutional measures accompany confidence-building steps on both sides.