WANA (Feb 28) – Ismail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the call by the leader of the PKK to lay down arms, describing the decision as an important step toward rejecting violence.

 

Baghaei emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports any process that leads to the cessation of terrorism and the strengthening of security in neighboring Turkey. He also expressed hope that this development would have positive effects in the region.

 

After a long wait, Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, finally issued a long-anticipated message.

 

His written statement, which ordered the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK, was read out at a hotel in Istanbul by Kurdish members of the Turkish Parliament. The message, delivered in four languages—Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and English—called for the dissolution of the PKK and unconditionally instructed all groups under its umbrella to lay down their arms.

 

However, some Turkish analysts point out that Öcalan did not explicitly mention the Kurdish militia known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.

 

The Hürriyet newspaper and other Ankara-based publications dedicated their front-page headlines and cover photos to Öcalan’s call for the PKK’s dissolution.

 

The PKK has been engaged in armed attacks against Turkey since 1984 and has several affiliated organizations, including the PJAK, a designated terrorist group.

 

Many Turkish analysts and political observers remain skeptical of the PKK, stating that it is still unclear how the group’s leadership will respond to Öcalan’s late st directives.