Turkiye says it is closely monitoring PKK disbandment to secure peace
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East's longest-running insurgencies.
In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle.
Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions.
'We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state's determination in this regard,' Fahrettin Altun, the head of the Turkish presidential communications office said.
The PKK initially launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the 1980s.
The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled 'Terror-Free Turkiye' was launched in October, after a key ally of President Recep Tayyip suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands.
Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK's decision.
Media close to the government have reported that the PKK's disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision.
According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq.
The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration.
Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report.
Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment.
Erdogan said Monday the PKK's declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.
The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan's call for a dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria.
The group then reached an agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the Syrian government.
Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan's government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.
Turkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday. (AP/File)
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Arab News
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Aid truck drivers face increasing danger from desperate crowds, armed gangs
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Arab News
31 minutes ago
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Lebanon tasks army with setting plan to restrict arms to state
Salam said the government 'tasked the Lebanese army with setting an implementation plan to restrict weapons' to the armyThe plan is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of August for discussion and approvalBEIRUT: Lebanon's government on Tuesday tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict arms to the state by year end, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said, an unprecedented move that paves the way for disarming a nearly six-hour cabinet session headed by President Joseph Aoun on disarming the Iran-backed militant group, Salam said the government 'tasked the Lebanese army with setting an implementation plan to restrict weapons' to the army and other state forces 'before the end of this year.'The plan is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of August for discussion and approval, he told a press conference after the marathon session.A November ceasefire deal that sought to end more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah stated that Lebanese government authorities such as the army, security forces and local police are 'the exclusive bearers of weapons in Lebanon.'Salam said the cabinet would continue discussions this week on a proposal from US envoy Tom Barrack that includes a timetable for disarming Minister Paul Morcos said that the cabinet 'set a deadline of the end of the year to consolidate arms in the hands of the Lebanese state.'He said Hezbollah-affiliated Health Minister Rakan Nassereldine and Environment Minister Tamara Elzein, who is affiliated with its ally the Amal movement, 'withdrew from the session because they did not agree with the cabinet decision.'Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem had said a short time earlier, as the cabinet was in session, that 'any timetable presented for implementation under... Israeli aggression cannot be agreed to.''Whoever looks at the deal Barrack brought doesn't find an agreement but dictates,' he said, arguing that 'it removes the strength and capabilities of Hezbollah and Lebanon entirely.'
