Media: PKK announces ceasefire following call from imprisoned leader

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Türkiye, has announced its agreement to implement a ceasefire following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

The group stated it would adhere to the terms outlined by Öcalan, marking a significant shift in its stance, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

The PKK expressed full agreement with Öcalan’s call for peace.

“We agree with Öcalan’s call and its content. We declare that we will comply with and fulfill the demands of this call. We announce a ceasefire, effective starting today,” the statement read.

This move comes after years of conflict between the PKK and Turkish forces, and it raises hopes for a possible de-escalation of violence in the region. Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, has long been a central figure in the Kurdish movement and has previously called for peace talks and an end to armed conflict.

The announcement of the ceasefire could pave the way for further dialogue and a potential resolution to the long-standing tensions in the region, though the response from the Turkish government remains to be seen. 

On February 27, Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the banned Kurdish insurgent group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), called on members of the organisation to lay down their arms and disband after over four decades of conflict with Türkiye. In a long-awaited statement, which was read out by deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Freedom and Democracy Party (DEM) in Istanbul, Öcalan urged the PKK to end its armed struggle.

By Naila Huseynova