PKK founder's messages fuel Kurdish peace talk hopes
Shafaq News/ Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)'s imprisoned founder, has reportedly sent messages to three key parties, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and eastern Syria, Kurdish leadership in Europe, and PKK members in the Qandil Mountains, amid renewed political movements surrounding the Kurdish cause and efforts to revive peace talks between Turkiye and the PKK.
Aisha Gul, spokesperson for the Equality and Democracy of Peoples Party (DEM Party) in Turkiye, revealed, "I can confirm that Öcalan's messages have reached the relevant parties,” but refused to reveal their contents. According to Gul, messages were also received by the Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union (KCDK-E) and the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) in Europe.
Öcalan had been expected to issue a public call to his supporters on February 15, but the move did not materialize. However, reports suggest that an official announcement could be made before the end of the month.
The PKK, founded by Öcalan in 1978, has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades. Öcalan was captured by Turkish intelligence in Kenya in 1999 and has been serving a life sentence in İmralı Prison ever since.
Parallel to these developments, a delegation from İmralı arrived in the Kurdistan Region, beginning its visit in Erbil, later traveling to Saladin where they met with veteran Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, then to Al-Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday.
These recent developments come as part of an increasing dialogue within Turkiye regarding the Kurdish cause, with the Turkish government making several gestures of "good-will," including allowing Öcalan’s family and members of the DEM Party—Turkiye's largest pro-Kurdish political party—to visit him in prison for the first time in years.
As peace efforts continue, observers remain “cautiously optimistic” about the potential impact of Öcalan’s messages and the ongoing talks, recognizing that "challenges lie ahead in achieving a sustainable resolution to one of the region’s longest-running conflicts."
