Kurdish DEM party urges Ankara to act after PKK disbands

ANKARA,— Senior figures in Turkey’s Kurdish DEM party on Wednesday urged Ankara to speed up steps to secure peace following the recent announcement by the PKK militant group that it was disbanding.

“Turkey cannot afford to waste any time, especially with the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict,” said Tulay Hatimogullari, one of the DEM’s co-chairs. She noted that actions to formally dismantle the PKK had been progressing “too slowly.”

Her comments came as fighting escalates in the Middle East, raising concerns that renewed hostilities could stall efforts to reconcile longstanding tensions between the Turkish state and its Kurdish population.

Tuncer Bakirhan, Hatimogullari’s co-chair, echoed her call, emphasizing the need for the government to take urgent steps.

He also urged improved detention conditions for Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK’s imprisoned founder, who earlier this year called on the group to lay down its arms.

The DEM leadership also proposed establishing a multi-party committee in parliament to monitor and guide the ongoing peace talks involving the PKK, the government, and their own party.

They added that progress could accelerate if the government adopted democratic reforms, including policies supporting the Kurdish language and culture.

The PKK, which began armed conflict in 1984 seeking greater Kurdish autonomy in regions known as Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur), officially announced its dissolution on May 12. The group had responded to a February call by Ocalan, who has been jailed on Imrali Island since 1999.

Over the decades, the PKK’s insurgency has left more than 40,000 dead. Despite its militant tactics, the organization is recognized by many for deliberately avoiding civilian targets. Advocacy groups in several countries have pushed for the PKK to be re-evaluated and possibly removed from terrorist watchlists.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)