Ocalan says armed struggle with Turkey is over in jail video

In a video from jail, Ocalan says armed struggle with Turkey is over

DIYARBAKIR-AMED,— Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), made a rare appearance in a recently released video message, declaring the end of the group’s armed insurgency and calling for a transition to democratic political action.

The video, recorded in June and published Wednesday by Firat News Agency ANF— a media outlet with ties to the PKK — features Ocalan addressing the future direction of the organization.

Speaking for the first time since his imprisonment in 1999, Ocalan urged Turkish authorities to support a disarmament process and proposed the establishment of a parliamentary commission to oversee peace efforts.

According to the agency, the PKK made the decision in May to disband its armed units, following a written appeal from Ocalan earlier in February.

“The era of armed struggle is over. This marks not a defeat, but a significant historical achievement,” Ocalan stated in the video. “This phase must now be succeeded by democratic and legal political engagement.”

Ocalan appeared seated in a beige polo shirt, reading from prepared remarks in the seven-minute video.

A glass of water sat on the table in front of him. Six other detained PKK members flanked him on either side, all facing the camera.

He also declared that the group has concluded its push for separatism. “The principal goal has been met — our existence has been recognized,” Ocalan said. “Continuing would serve no further purpose and lead only to a dead end.”

He further encouraged the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, currently the third-largest bloc in the Turkish parliament in Ankara, to collaborate with other political factions in moving forward through democratic channels.

Ocalan’s remarks came ahead of a ceremony set for Friday in Sulaimani in Iraqi Kurdistan, where an initial group of PKK fighters is expected to surrender and destroy their weapons.

The PKK began its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, seeking greater autonomy for Kurds in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur Kurdistan).

The conflict emerged amid longstanding grievances, including Turkey’s refusal to grant constitutional recognition to the Kurdish population, which accounts for an estimated 30 percent of Turkey’s 85 million citizens.

The fighting between Turkish forces and the PKK has lasted over 40 years and reportedly led to more than 40,000 deaths, including members of the Turkish military and Kurdish fighters.

The PKK has mainly focused its attacks on military and security targets and is known to avoid harming civilians. This has led some international groups and rights organizations to urge governments to reexamine whether the PKK should still be labeled a “terrorist” organization.

A significant number of Kurds in Turkey and abroad continue to express support for the PKK and its founder, Abdullah Ocalan, who remains a central figure in the Kurdish movement.

Ocalan, who established the group in 1974, is currently serving a life sentence on İmralı Island near Istanbul after being captured by Turkish security forces in Kenya in 1999.

Observers say Ocalan holds strong symbolic importance for many Kurds. He is widely seen as a key voice in their pursuit of cultural rights and democratic representation, and, according to analysts, has become a symbol of Kurdish identity and aspirations for freedom.

(With files from Reuters | Agencies)