Dr Anwar Gargash hails PKK leader's call to move away from violence
Jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan said the PKK and its 'national liberation war strategy have come to an end', in a video message dated June 19 and released on Wednesday.
Ocalan, whose group is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union, has been detained in a prison on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, since his capture by Turkish security forces in 1999.
'The announcement by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to end the 'armed struggle' and shift to constitutional and legal action is a courageous decision that reflects a profound rational review,' said Mr Gargash, in a post on social media platform X.
'Our region is in bad need of such reviews to learn the lessons of the experience, avoid the repetition of mistakes and open new paths that serve the interest of the peoples and the regional stability.'
Ocalan founded the PKK in the 1970s. The group waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades in an attempt to secure greater rights for the country's Kurdish minority. Around one-fifth of Turkey's population is ethnically Kurdish.
The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people on both sides and the PKK became Ankara's number one security priority.
Ocalan first called on PKK members to disarm and dissolve the group in February, in a move that opened the way to end one of the Middle East's most intractable conflicts. At the time, his message was read out by members of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political party, the People's Democracy and Equality Party (DEM).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Nuclear discussions with Europe will continue, says Iranian minister after Istanbul talks
Iran and European powers held talks in Istanbul over Tehran's nuclear programme but appeared to make no concrete decisions before a deadline to reimpose UN sanctions in September. "Both sides came to the meeting with specific ideas, the various aspects of which were examined," Kazem Gharibabadi, one of Iran's deputy foreign ministers and nuclear negotiators, said in a post on X after the meeting. "It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue." Representatives from the foreign ministries of the UK, France and Germany met Mr Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, another deputy foreign minister, at the Iranian consulate in the Turkish city. There was no immediate comment from European parties to the talks. These were the first in-person discussions between Iran and the European countries, known as the E3, since the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June and subsequent US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The negotiations centred on the so-called snapback mechanism. As part of the 2015 nuclear deal's dispute resolution clauses, it allows remaining parties to the accord to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran that are due to expire in the autumn. They include arms embargoes, asset freezes and restrictions on Iran's missile and nuclear programmes. The US cannot use the mechanism because President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 agreement in his first term. The E3 have until mid-September to decide whether or not to use the snapback mechanism, which must be triggered 30 days before the UN sanctions are set to expire on October 18. But the apparent lack of progress in Friday's talks further tightens the window of opportunity for a negotiated solution. Iranian officials have claimed repeatedly that European nations do not have the right to reimpose UN sanctions because they breached commitments under the 2015 deal and adopted what Tehran saw as pro-Israeli stances during the war in June. "We explained our principled positions, including on the so-called snapback mechanism," Mr Gharibabadi said in his statement on Friday. Last Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign ministers from the E3 that they have no grounds to reactivate UN sanctions after they threatened to do so unless there is progress in nuclear talks. If the snapback process is not used and UN embargoes expire in October, Iran could in theory advance its nuclear programme without international restrictions, although remaining US sanctions would probably still complicate any such efforts. Clock ticking on sanctions Analysts and diplomats have said European powers could offer Iran an extension to the deadline. That could allow time for negotiations between Tehran and Washington to reach a replacement deal to the 2015 accord, imposing limits on Iran's nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Such a move would probably come in exchange for commitments from Iran to co-operate with international nuclear inspectors and re-engage in talks with the US. "A snapback extension remains a difficult means to an even more difficult end – securing new US-Iran negotiations and a new nuclear deal," Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in an analysis on the mechanism this week. "But Europeans need to be fully invested in this process." But Iranian officials have voiced scepticism over an extension. 'We oppose it,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media on Friday, before the talks with the E3. The talks in Istanbul were an opportunity for European countries 'to make up for their previous unconstructive approaches that have tarnished Europe's credibility', he added. At the same time, ministers in Iran have voiced willingness to return to talks with Washington, but want guarantees that the US and Israel will not attack the country again while diplomacy is continuing. Iran and the US held five rounds of negotiations in Rome and Oman this year, before a sixth round was cancelled when Israel attacked Iran in June. The talks had also faltered over Iran's rights to uranium enrichment, which Tehran wants to continue, with possible limits. The US position hardened during the talks and Washington wants to deny Iran any nuclear enrichment capacity under a deal. Tehran has also agreed to host a technical team from the UN nuclear watchdog to discuss future co-operation. The development came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this month ended co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and said it could only be restored if the agency addressed Tehran's concerns over perceived bias. Future work with the agency will be co-ordinated by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, whose decisions are only effective once approved by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for strictly peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop a bomb. But uranium enrichment levels of up to 60 per cent, far exceeding the needs of civilian purposes, have raised suspicions in the West that Iran wants to build a weapon. Speaking in Tehran before Friday's talks, Mr Araghchi said his country's position would be made 'completely clear". "The Islamic Republic of Iran, while advancing its peaceful nuclear programme, has always been ready to adopt confidence-building measures," he added. 'Especially after the recent war, it is important for [the E3] to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue,' the Tasnim news agency quoted Mr Araghchi as saying.
Emirates 24/7
3 hours ago
- Emirates 24/7
Abdullah bin Zayed welcomes France's announcement on intention to recognise State of Palestine, reaffirms commitment to supporting legitimate rights of Palestinian People
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the announcement by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, regarding France's intention to recognise the State of Palestine. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed believes this step reinforces efforts by the international community to advance the two-state solution and establish a just and lasting peace in the region. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed expressed the UAE's appreciation for this significant decision, which comes at a critical juncture and underscores the need for the international community to uphold its responsibilities and work collectively to revive the political process and bring an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Such efforts would contribute to enhancing regional security and stability, while supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign state in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and international law. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also reaffirmed the UAE's unwavering commitment to the aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people, and to continued cooperation with regional and international partners to achieve a just and sustainable solution that ends the conflict and lays the groundwork for a more stable and prosperous future for the peoples of the region. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Israel's Knesset vote on the West Bank is an alarming development
To gauge how noxious Israeli politics has become, one need only consider what the past month has been like for Ayman Odeh, the Arab leader of a coalition of leftist parties. The Knesset, Israel's legislature, moved to impeach Mr Odeh for a tweet earlier in the year in which he said he was 'happy for the release of [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners' – the inclusion of both groups in the same sentence apparently too much for his detractors. Parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly – 73 to 14 – for Mr Odeh's expulsion, but a boycott of the session by Ultra-Orthodox parties over an unrelated issue prevented the 90-vote threshold required from being met. Then, last weekend, Mr Odeh was attacked on his way to an anti-war protest in central Israel. His assailants cracked the windshield of his car while he was inside, and chanted 'Death to Arabs'. Police, Mr Odeh says, stood by and did nothing. The silence from his fellow parliamentarians has been deafening. Yet it is little surprise, considering the anti-Arab mood in the Knesset appears to be at a fever pitch. On Wednesday, the legislature voted in favour of a non-binding motion to annex the West Bank, a Palestinian territory whose long-standing occupation by Israeli security forces is illegal under international law. The West Bank is a critical part of historic Palestine and any future Palestinian the vote was overwhelming, with 71 for to 13 against. The Knesset resolution called on the government 'to apply Israeli sovereignty, law, judgement and administration' over large areas where illegal Jewish settlements are present, and noted the entire territory is 'an inseparable part of the land of Israel', to which Israel has a 'natural, historical and legal right'. The anti-Arab mood appears to be at a fever pitch Ten Arab and Islamic countries, along with the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, released a statement on Thursday roundly condemning the Knesset resolution. The statement, of which the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were signatories, called the resolution 'a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law', adding it will 'only fuel the growing tension in the region, exacerbated by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe'. The resolution has been viewed by Israeli politicians as a largely symbolic measure, as it does not carry the force of law. But it is deeply problematic, both as an antagonistic barb against the dignity and rights of Palestinians and as a barometer of public sentiment. While it is true that the statements and votes of Members of the Knesset belie more nuanced public opinion, the picture is still disturbing. A poll conducted by The Jerusalem Post in February found that 35 per cent of Israelis favour a 'Jewish-only state, from the river to the sea'. This would, in effect, include the prospect of annexation of the West Bank and the end of hopes for a Palestinian state. The pro-annexation movement is about much more than territorial claims. It inherently denies Palestinians the right to exist as a national community – it is no coincidence the most prominent supporters of annexing the West Bank apply their logic to Gaza, too. The fact that it has become an ideological staple in the Knesset makes its success as eventual national policy much likelier, and that ought to alarm everyone in the region, as well as Israel's allies in the West. A generalised acceptance of lawlessness and oppression among most of a country's politicians can have concrete consequences. Even if the annexation resolution is symbolic, the violent assault against Mr Odeh was very real.
