PKK founder's messages fuel Kurdish peace talk hopes
Shafaq News/ Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)'s imprisoned founder, has reportedly sent messages to three key parties,including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and eastern Syria,Kurdish leadership in Europe, and PKK members in the Qandil Mountains, amidrenewed political movements surrounding the Kurdish cause and efforts to revivepeace talks between Turkey and the PKK.
Aisha Gul, spokesperson for theEquality and Democracy of Peoples Party (DEM Party) in Turkey, revealed, "I can confirm thatÖcalan's messages have reached the relevant parties,” but refused to reveal their contents. According toGul, messages were also received by the Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union(KCDK-E) and the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) in Europe.
Öcalan had been expected to issue apublic call to his supporters on February 15, but the move did not materialize.However, reports suggest that an official announcement could be made before theend of the month.
The PKK, founded by Öcalan in 1978,has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades. Öcalan wascaptured by Turkish intelligence in Kenya in 1999 and has been serving a lifesentence in ?mral? Prison ever since.
Parallel to these developments, adelegation from ?mral? arrived in the Kurdistan Region, beginning its visit inErbil, later traveling to Saladdin where they met with veteran Kurdish leaderMasoud Barzani, then to Al-Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday.
These recent developments come aspart of an increasing dialogue within Turkey regarding the Kurdish cause, with the Turkish government making several gestures of "good-will," including allowingÖcalan’s family and members of the DEM Party—Turkey’s largest pro-Kurdishpolitical party—to visit him in prison for the first time in years.
As peace efforts continue, observersremain “cautiously optimistic” about the potential impact of Öcalan’s messagesand the ongoing talks, recognizing that "challenges lie ahead in achieving asustainable resolution to one of the region’s longest-running conflicts."
