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The landmark initiative to end PKK terrorism in Türkiye is set to be the top item on the agenda for the presidential Cabinet when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assembles it on Tuesday.
The Cabinet will discuss the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held over the weekend, as well as talks with the Imrali Delegation, a group of lawmakers who served as messengers for the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is imprisoned on the island of Imralı near Istanbul.
Erdoğan received the delegation, two deputies from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, last week for a meeting described as “extremely positive, constructive and hopeful.”
Öcalan in late February called on his group to lay down arms and dissolve in what would mark the end of more than four decades of the PKK’s campaign of terrorism targeting Türkiye.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched last year by government ally Devlet Bahçeli. The PKK is expected to hold a “congress” this spring to announce its full compliance with Öcalan’s call.
However, the terrorist group has set conditions, including Öcalan’s release. Ankara has so far rejected the demands, including the unilateral cease-fire announced by the group.
The cease-fire is the first sign of a breakthrough since peace talks between the PKK and Ankara broke down in the summer of 2015.
The Cabinet will also tackle the repercussions of an increase in U.S. tariffs, the trade war between the United States and China, as well as other regional developments, chiefly Israel’s attacks on Palestine and policies on Syria.
