Erdogan Calls on Kurdish PKK to Lay Down Arms
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Ankara, Jan 11 (NationPress) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called upon the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm, indicating a possible breakthrough in one of the country's most persistent conflicts.
Speaking in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir, Erdogan highlighted a new and significant window of opportunity to tackle a struggle that has led to the loss of tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. "We do not think it is right that this should be wasted," he stated.
Recently, his administration has garnered support from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, whose representatives visited Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned PKK leader, to discuss disarmament options.
Local news reports indicate that Ocalan may soon encourage PKK fighters to lay down their weapons, which could signify a major shift in the long-standing conflict.
The initiative for peace comes as Turkey aims to enhance its internal unity amid regional instability, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Erdogan stressed the necessity of concluding what he referred to as "half-century-long separatist terrorism" and eradicating it "from history with all its dimensions."
While diplomatic efforts are ongoing, Turkish security forces continue to exert pressure on the PKK.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that police operations across 41 provinces over the past 10 days have led to the arrest of 147 suspected PKK members.
The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, and has been in rebellion against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
