Ocalan's call for peace and the regional variable in favour of Turkiye

The Kurdish issue is viewed as a thorny and multi-dimensional issue, as it includes conflicts extending across four countries: Iraq, Iran, Turkiye and Syria. In all of these countries, the Kurds are striving to fulfil their right to self-determination by establishing an independent state.

Shortly after the change of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, the Kurds were satisfied with a degree of autonomous self-rule. In Turkiye, Abdullah Ocalan and his comrades founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in 1978, demanding the establishment of a Kurdish state. In 1984, Ocalan announced the start of the armed struggle against Ankara, which prompted Turkiye and its NATO allies to designate the party as a terrorist organisation. Turkiye arrested Ocalan in 1999 and sentenced him to death, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison.

In a surprise move last week, Ocalan took advantage of a visit by a delegation of MPs from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to his prison and called on all armed groups to lay down their arms and dissolve the PKK. He stressed that he bears “historical responsibility for this call and decision.”

This reflects Ocalan’s deep understanding of geopolitical changes and Turkiye’s growing regional role, especially with the expansion of its influence in Syria after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. It also aligns with internal pressures, as many Kurdish factions express their desire to move from an armed to political struggle.

These developments also come at a time when the Turkish government has begun to reconsider its policies towards the Kurds, especially considering the ongoing crises in the region and the regional role that Turkiye seeks to play through its alliance with the new Syrian regime led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

The bottom line is that Ocalan realised that continuing the armed struggle under the current regional and global circumstances could destroy any chance of achieving the Kurds’ goals. As such, his call was made to confirm their readiness to participate in a serious peace process that guarantees the Kurds their civil rights.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his belief that “the efforts for a terror-free Turkiye… have entered a new phase.” He emphasised his chief duty to promote an inclusive climate that embraces all groups. He also expressed his willingness to consider the possibility of releasing Ocalan to be an effective partner in the national reconciliation efforts.

If this step is taken, it could play a pivotal role in changing the behaviour of the US- and Israeli-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which would contribute to facilitating the Syrian reconciliation process. Turkiye will certainly be the biggest winner if it succeeds in thwarting the Israeli desires aimed at creating a Druze-Kurdish “Salah al-Din Canton”, which would separate Syria from Jordan on the southern border. It would also prevent their unification as a strong state allied with Turkiye, which greatly worries Israel given its growing role on its northern border and in the region.

READ: PKK declares ceasefire with Turkiye after Ocalan’s calls for peace

This article first appeared in Arabic in Arab28 on 3 March 2025

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.