Imprisoned militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on Thursday announced a call for his to dissolve itself.
The PKK leader’s message was conveyed after a meeting with senior members of left-wing, pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy Party (DEM).
“Convene your congress and make a decision; all groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself,” Ocalan was quoted as saying.
He called for a new “epoch of peace” and a “democratic society.”
Why is Ocalan calling for the PKK to dissolve?
Ocalan has been serving a life sentence in solitary confinement on the island of Imrali near Istanbul since 1999 over a treason conviction.
The Thursday statement comes after Devlet Bahceli, who heads the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and is an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggested in October if the PKK were to reject violence and disband.
Ocalan has been visited twice by DEM lawmakers since December.
Erdogan could require , as Turkey’s constitution does not allow him to run for office again. The longtime ruler has served as president since 2014 and was prime minister from 2003-2014.
What is the conflict with the PKK?
The PKK has waged an insurgency in Turkey’s -dominated southeast since 1984. The conflict has claimed some 40,000 lives.
A previous round of peace talks between Ankara and the PKK collapsed in 2015.
The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.
Turkey has also demanded the , which have controlled parts of eastern Syria since the start of the . Ankara considers the group to be an offshoot of the PKK.
A rebel offensive led by the Islamist group overthrew former dictator Bashar Assad in December. Acting Syrian President and former HTS commander and the formation of a new Syrian army late in January.
Edited by: Sean M. Sinico
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