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Abdullah Öcalan, the ringleader of the PKK terrorist group, released a statement from prison through a delegation that visited him on Monday. The statement disclosed by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) says a “positive stage” is imminent in the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
Last February, Öcalan complied with the call of Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), for the dissolution of the PKK, which is responsible for the deaths of thousands since the 1980s in a violent campaign. After he urged the group to lay down arms, the PKK announced in May that it would dissolve itself and started the disarmament process this summer. Most recently, the group announced that its last remaining members in Türkiye had left the country. A delegation from the DEM Party, known for its intricate ties to the group, paid a visit to Öcalan in Imrali, an island prison near Istanbul, where the senior terrorist is held.
Öcalan told the delegation that it was crucial to move forward sensibly and with responsibility to bring the initiative to a positive stage. He underlined the need to strengthen Turkish-Kurdish unity, echoing Bahçeli’s earlier remarks. The PKK claims to fight for Kurdish rights, including so-called autonomy for the community. The PKK’s leader said they were on the threshold of “democratic integration.” “We are trying to build a positive stage, not a destructive one,” he said in his message.
