Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
The PKK announced on May 12 that they have ended their armed struggle and have disbanded. Kurdish issues "can be resolved through democratic politics", according to the announcement.
In February, Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the PKK, wrote a letter from Imrali prison in Turkey, where he has been jailed since 1999. He called on the PKK to lay down its arms, saying "there is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way."
The PKK is a banned terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US, and more than 40,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began in 1978.
PKK's ideology is founded on revolutionary Marxism-Leninism and separatist ethno-nationalism. Marxism-Leninism is the political ideology of China, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam. Marxist-Leninist states are commonly referred to as "communist states" by Western academics.
"We believe that Kurdish political parties, democratic organizations and opinion leaders will fulfil their responsibilities in developing Kurdish democracy and ensuring the formation of a Kurdish democratic nation," according to the PKK statement.
In October 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli, Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), suggested Ocalan could be granted parole if the PKK renounced violence and disbanded.
''The winners today are peace and brotherhood. The winners today are politics and democracy. The winners today are the Turkish nation from east to west, south to north, the Republic of Turkey, and even the friendly and brotherly peoples in the surrounding geographies,'' said Bahceli in response to the PKK announcement to disband.
"The decision of the PKK to dissolve itself and lay down its arms following the call made from Imral is an important step in terms of the 'Turkey Without Terror' goal. If terrorism ends completely, the door to a new era will open. This decision needs to be implemented in practice and realized in all its dimensions. The concrete and complete implementation of the 'dissolution' and 'surrender of arms' decision, which will close all branches and extensions of the PKK and its illegal structures, will be a turning point. This process will be meticulously followed in the field by our state institutions. The stages reached will be presented to our President," according to Omer Celik, Erdogan's AK Party spokesperson.
The PKK insurgency initially aimed to create an independent homeland for Kurds, who account for about 20% of Turkey's population. However, it has since evolved away from its separatist goals, focusing instead on more autonomy and greater Kurdish rights.
Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Wladimir van Wilgenburg, a political analyst specializing in issues concerning Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey with a particular focus on Kurdish politics, and co-author of The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity and Conflicts (with Harriet Allsopp), 2019, and Accidental Allies: The U.S.-Syrian Democratic Forces Partnership Against the Islamic State (with Michael Knights), 2021.
1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): The PKK has announced they have dissolved. In your point of view, what are the ramifications of this historic decision?
Wladimir van Wilgenburg (WvW): The disarmament and dissolving of the PKK will contribute to peace and stability in Turkey, in the region, and will also contribute to finding a legal and political solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey. The PKK has been in conflict with the Turkish state for four decades in response to the Turkish suppression of the Kurds in Turkey. Now that the PKK has announced their disarmament, we will see if there will be reciprocal steps by Turkey, such as the release of Kurdish prisoners in Turkey. Thousands of Kurdish activists and politicians have ended up behind bars, including Demirtas.
2. SS: Abdallah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, has spent decades in a Turkish prison. In your opinion, what are the chances of his eventual release?
WvW: I think it will be difficult for Turkey to completely release him, but if he is put out of isolation, able to meet people, is put under house arrest, and his conditions improve, this will make a big difference. Also, if he will have the opportunity to communicate with the outside world, this would be a big step. He probably would like to be released like Mandela in South Africa, but this might be a step too far for the Turkish government. If there was no new peace process, he would he probably have died alone, and in isolation on the Imrali island.
3. SS: The Kurdish community in Turkey is sizable. In your view, is there a desire to create a Kurdish semi-autonomous administration?
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