Media: Ankara prepares contingency plan if PKK rejects disarmament call From Abdullah Öcalan

A military contingency plan is being developed in Türkiye should the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) refuse to heed the disarmament appeal from its leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Turkish columnist Abdulkadir Selvi writes in Hürriyet, citing sources within the government, that, “Ankara is preparing for potential scenarios if the PKK, based in northern Iraq, fails to comply with Öcalan’s instructions to lay down its weapons,” Caliber.Az reports.

"Should Qandil (the PKK's stronghold in northern Iraq) reject disarmament, Öcalan will not accept this. After all, the militants would be defying their own leadership," Selvi writes. He also speculated that Öcalan may soon issue a statement, disavowing the PKK and accusing it of being an "American-Israeli project" under the control of Israel, Iran, and the United States.

The Turkish government has outlined a roadmap for both the possibility of PKK disarmament and the continuation of armed resistance. The plan is as follows:

1. A monitoring period of two to three months will be implemented.

2. Mechanisms will be established should Qandil decide to disarm.

3. If the PKK does relinquish its arms, there will be a detailed plan for what happens to the group’s leaders and the weapons.

4. Weapons will be transferred to appropriate authorities in Türkiye, under the supervision of both Turkish and Iraqi administrations, with special arrangements in Syria where Turkish and Syrian authorities will jointly oversee the process.

5. PKK leaders Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık, Besê Hoza, Duran Kalkan, and Murat Karasu – all wanted on international arrest warrants – along with around 30 to 40 other senior members, are expected to relocate to third countries. Those unable to leave will remain in designated areas in Iraq.

In recent development, Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the banned Kurdish insurgent group PKK, has called for the group to lay down arms and disband, marking a significant shift after more than four decades of conflict with the Turkish state. In a statement read by deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Freedom and Democracy Party (DEM) in Istanbul, Öcalan declared that the PKK had "completed its life" and urged its dissolution.

He emphasized the historical alliance between Turks and Kurds, highlighting the mutual bond that has existed for over 1,000 years. Öcalan’s statement, which follows a meeting with DEM officials, comes amid a broader political shift in Türkiye, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other political leaders showing positive responses to the call for peace.

Despite being imprisoned since 1999, Öcalan remains influential within the PKK. The call for disarmament could bring an end to the decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, though challenges remain, as some factions within the PKK may resist the decision.

The PKK, founded by Öcalan in 1978, has been labelled a terrorist organization by Türkiye and its allies. Previous peace efforts have faltered, raising questions about the future of the ongoing peace process.

By Aghakazim Guliyev