Kurdish militants declare ceasefire in 40-year insurgency in Turkey

Kurdish militants who have waged a 40-year insurgency in Turkey have declared a ceasefire 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 neighbouring 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 PKK declaration was published on Saturday by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. 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.

On Thursday, a delegation of Kurdish politicians announced Ocalan’s call for the PKK to lay down its arms and disband after visiting him on his island prison earlier in the day.

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.

In its statement, the PKK’s executive committee said Ocalan’s call indicated that a “new historical process has begun in Kurdistan and the Middle East”. Kurdistan refers to the parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran inhabited by Kurds.

The PKK said it would “comply with and implement the requirements of the call from our own side”, but emphasised that “democratic politics and legal grounds must also be suitable for success”.

Ocalan’s call came as the main pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey faced pressure, with several of its mayors being removed from office in recent months and replaced by government appointees.

The PKK appealed for Ocalan to be released from Imrali prison, in the Marmara Sea, to “personally direct and execute” a party congress that would lead to the militants laying down their arms.

The announcement could mark a significant boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

The peace initiative between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its western allies, was started in October by Mr Erdogan’s coalition partner Devlet Bahceli, a far-right politician who suggested Ocalan could be granted parole if his group renounced violence and disbanded.

Mr Erdogan said Ocalan’s message was a “new phase” in peace efforts in Turkey.

“There is an opportunity to take a historic step towards tearing down the wall of terror that has stood between (Turkish and Kurdish peoples’) thousand-year-old brotherhood,” Mr Erdogan said on Friday.

The government’s first response to the ceasefire came from vice president Cevdet Yilmaz, who wrote: “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.”

Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for his government to win Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.

Mr Bahceli has called for a new constitution, saying it is essential for Turkey’s future that Mr Erdogan remains in power. The pair are reportedly seeking parliamentary support from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.

Ocalan, 75, wields significant influence in the Kurdish movement despite his 25-year imprisonment, during which the PKK has been led by figures who have found sanctuary in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

In Syria, Kurdish fighters with ties to the PKK have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces on the ground.

The leader of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has said Ocalan’s call for a ceasefire does not apply to his group in Syria.

The Turkish government says all Kurdish groups it claims are tied to the PKK — in Turkey, Syria or Iraq — must disband.

In recent years, the PKK has been limited to isolated attacks inside Turkey as the military, backed by armed drones, has pushed insurgents increasingly across the mountainous border into Iraq.