 founder Abdullah Öcalan for the Kurdish militant group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself, saying it could improve regional stability and security, Agence France-Presse reported.){kind=link}
Iraq and its autonomous Kurdistan region have welcomed a call by jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) founder Abdullah Öcalan for the Kurdish militant group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself, saying it could improve regional stability and security, Agence France-Presse reported.
Iraq’s foreign ministry said in a statement late Thursday that Öcalan’s call was “a positive and important step towards achieving stability in the region.” It added that the move could contribute to “enhancing security not only in Iraq … but in the entire region.”
The ministry said that “political solutions and dialogue are the best way to resolve differences and end conflicts” and expressed hope that the PKK would take “rapid steps” to lay down its arms. Baghdad also reaffirmed its commitment to “strong relations with neighboring Turkey.”
Öcalan’s message, drafted from his prison cell in Turkey, stated that “all groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.” The declaration comes four months after Ankara extended an olive branch to the 75-year-old leader, who has been jailed in a prison on the İmralı Island since 1999.
The PKK has waged a decades-long war against the Turkish state, and its presence in Iraq has been a frequent source of tension between Baghdad and Ankara. Turkey maintains military bases in northern Iraq and regularly conducts air and ground operations against PKK militants. Last year, Iraq quietly designated the PKK as a “banned organization,” though Turkey continues to press Baghdad to officially declare it a terrorist group.
In August Iraq and Turkey signed a military cooperation deal to establish joint command and training centers aimed at combating the PKK.
Iraqi Kurdistan leaders support PKK laying down arms
Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, also welcomed Öcalan’s call and urged the PKK to implement the message.
“We warmly welcome Öcalan’s message … and we call on the PKK to adhere to and implement this message,” Barzani wrote on X. “We in the Kurdistan region fully support the peace process.”
This handout photograph taken and released on February 17, 2025 by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Press Office shows co-leader of the DEM Party Pervin Buldan (C-L) and President of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani (C-R) and their delegations during a meeting at the presidential palace in Arbil.
Masoud Barzani, Nechirvan’s uncle and veteran leader of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), reaffirmed his “full support” for the peace process “in every possible way.” He expressed hope that Öcalan’s message would “put the peace process on track” to achieve a resolution that benefits all parties.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the other major party in Iraqi Kurdistan, also welcomed the call. PUK leader Bafel Talabani described Öcalan’s statement as “responsible and necessary” and urged all sides to “embrace this statement and take practical steps toward achieving comprehensive peace, seizing this historic opportunity.”
Turkey has long accused the PUK of being lenient toward PKK activities in Iraq. The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, maintains rear bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, where Turkey regularly conducts military operations.
Öcalan’s declaration has the potential to reshape the region’s security dynamics, but the response from PKK leadership and Ankara remains to be seen.