Why has PKK leader called on group to dissolve and why does it matter?

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has urged the group to disarm and dissolve, signaling a potential end to a 40-year conflict between Kurdish militants and the Turkish state. His statement, delivered through political allies in Istanbul, emphasizes historical accountability. This move follows a peace overture from Devlet Bahceli, an ally of President Erdogan. The PKK, which has fought for Kurdish rights since 1978, has a complex history, including past demands for independence. The disarmament call has broad implications for Turkey and the Middle East.

I am making a call for the laying down of arms and I take on the historical responsibility for this call, Abdullah Ocalan was quoted as saying in a letter read out by political allies in Istanbul.

This declaration follows a surprise peace gesture to Ocalan from Devlet Bahceli, a hardline nationalist ally of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last October.

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