Ankara, March 1, 2025 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli have both responded to the recent call by Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), for the militant group to disarm and dissolve.
In a statement on Friday, Erdoğan hailed the appeal as a “historic opportunity” for Turkey to eliminate terrorism and strengthen national unity. “We have a historic opportunity to advance towards the objective of destroying the wall of terror,” Erdoğan said, emphasizing that Turkey would “keep a close watch” on the process to ensure a successful outcome.
He warned against any “provocations” that might derail the initiative and reiterated that eliminating armed struggle would create greater space for democratic politics. “When the pressure of terrorism and arms is eliminated, the space for politics in democracy will naturally expand,” Erdoğan stated. “No member of this nation, whether Turk or Kurd, will forgive anyone for blocking this process by ambivalent speeches or actions, as has happened in the past.”
Bahçeli, a staunch nationalist and key ally of Erdoğan, echoed the sentiment but took a more cautious approach. In a written statement, he described Öcalan’s disarmament appeal as “valuable and important from beginning to end” but stressed that full compliance from all PKK factions, particularly those in the Qandil Mountains, was necessary for genuine progress.
“The leaders of the PKK in Qandil must rally around İmralı’s call. At this stage, organizational coherence is in everyone’s best interest,” Bahçeli said, emphasizing that Turkey must remain vigilant against attempts to undermine the process. He also warned against media and political actors who might seek to obstruct the effort, stating, “The desire for a Turkey free of terrorism must not be diluted by provocations or the manipulations of those who benefit from conflict.”
The PKK, which has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, responded to Öcalan’s call by declaring a ceasefire on March 1. However, it remains unclear whether its military leadership, headquartered in northern Iraq, will fully comply with disbandment.
