Peregraf
Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has issued a message expressing support for the group’s landmark decision to disarm and dissolve itself, calling the move a historic step forward.
“I respectfully salute the decisions of the historic 12th Congress and its messages for the future,” Ocalan said in a statement released on Monday, following the conclusion of the PKK’s 12th Congress. He also commemorated the deaths of senior PKK figures Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, saying they would remain “permanent leaders in our struggle” and symbols of the movement’s paradigm shift.
The 12th Congress, held under what the PKK described as “challenging security conditions,” resulted in a resolution to end the organization’s armed struggle and formally terminate all activities carried out under the PKK’s name. The congress cited a February 27, 2025 message from Ocalan—conveyed via a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party—as the foundation for its decision. In the message, Ocalan urged a full transition toward peaceful and democratic political engagement.
The PKK called the decision a “historic shift” in the Kurdish freedom movement and confirmed the deaths of Kaytan and Altun, hailing them as martyrs. Both had been longtime members of the organization’s leadership.
Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on İmralı Island since 1999, has made few public statements in recent years. His endorsement of the congress’s resolution is seen as significant by many observers.
The announcement has sparked cautious optimism across the region, with analysts closely monitoring how the Turkish government and other key players will respond. The coming weeks are expected to test the sincerity of all sides in seizing what some are calling a rare opportunity to turn the page on decades of conflict.