Kurdish armed group PKK declares ceasefire in Turkey

Kurdish militants who have waged a 40-year insurgency in Turkey declared a ceasefire yesterday in what could mark a significant boost to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, two days after their imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm.

- 

The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, comes against the backdrop of fundamental changes in the region, including the reconfiguration of power in neighboring Syria after the toppling of president Bashar Assad, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement in Lebanon and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The government is yet to respond in detail to the PKK’s declaration but vice-president of Turkey Cevdet Yilmaz posted on X (Twitter) that a “new phase has been entered towards the goal of a terror-free Turkey. We hope that this opportunity will be seized, this effort will be concluded quickly and successfully.”

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has led to tens of thousands of deaths since it began in 1984. The ceasefire is the first sign of a breakthrough since peace talks between the PKK and Ankara broke down in the summer of 2015.

The PKK declaration was published by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group, yesterday. It referred to the insurgents’ leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned by Turkey since 1999.

“We declare a ceasefire effective today to pave the way for the implementation of Leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” it said, referring to Ocalan by his nickname.