According to local media reports, Turkish military aircraft dropped leaflets over northern Iraq’s Duhok province on Tuesday, urging militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down their arms and heed the recent message of their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan,
The leaflets, written in both Turkish and Kurdish, were scattered over Mount Matin and Mount Gara in the al-Amadiyah district — areas known for harboring PKK elements. Local residents told reporters that the leaflets called on fighters to abandon the armed struggle and “respond to Öcalan’s call,” adding that those who surrender would be treated with leniency.
The move comes nearly two months after a rare public message from Öcalan, who has been held on İmralı Island since 1999. On February 27, members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) read the message aloud during a press event in Istanbul, following a rare prison visit.
In the statement, Öcalan urged the PKK to dissolve its armed wing and transition toward democratic political engagement, calling the shift a “historic responsibility.” The remarks were widely interpreted as a call for a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish insurgents.
Designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, the PKK has fought for Kurdish autonomy since the early 1980s. Its fighters operate from remote mountainous regions across northern Iraq, often prompting Turkish cross-border operations.
Öcalan’s February message drew international attention. The White House described the development as “significant” and expressed hope it might ease tensions in the region, particularly between Turkey and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.
