Sat Mar 01 07:45:20 UTC 2025: ## PKK Declares Immediate Ceasefire in Turkey After Leader’s Call

**Ankara, Turkey –** In a major development, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group, announced an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, February 29, 2025. This follows a call from their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urging disarmament and dissolution after four decades of insurgency against the Turkish state.

The declaration, made through the group’s affiliated news agency, Firat, marks a potential turning point in a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives. Ocalan’s call, issued on Thursday, February 27, 2025, has received support from both the Turkish government under President Tayyip Erdogan and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party (DEM).

The PKK statement emphasized that while they are heeding Ocalan’s call and ceasing hostilities, the success of the disarmament process hinges on his release from near-total isolation since 1999, and the establishment of necessary political and democratic conditions. They stated that the practical leadership of Ocalan (“Leader Apo”) is essential for laying down arms.

The DEM party has urged the Turkish government to take steps towards democratization, viewing this as crucial for the peace process. However, the Turkish government maintains its stance of not negotiating with the PKK and insists on the disarmament of all Kurdish militias, including those in Iraq and Syria.

While welcoming Ocalan’s appeal, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), considered by Turkey as an extension of the PKK, stated that the ceasefire does not apply to them. Ankara has repeatedly demanded the SDF’s disarmament and warned of military action.

Ocalan’s call, prompted by a proposal from an ultra-nationalist ally of President Erdogan last October, has garnered international support from the United States, the European Union, and neighboring countries Iraq and Iran. The long-term implications of this development for regional stability remain to be seen.

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