PKK calls on Turkey to relax Ocalan’s prison conditions

SULAIMANI,— The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has called on Turkey to relax prison conditions for its imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, naming him as the central figure in any prospective peace negotiations.

Speaking with Agence France-Presse, Zagros Hiwa, spokesperson for the PKK’s political wing, said the group views Ocalan as the “chief negotiator” for talks that may follow the group’s announcement of its dissolution earlier this month.

The PKK, labeled a “terrorist” group by Turkey and its NATO partners, has been locked in conflict with the Turkish state since the 1980s.

According to Hiwa, the Turkish government has yet to offer solid assurances that it is committed to a peace initiative, and the PKK rejects the notion of exile for its members.

On May 12, the PKK formally declared an end to its armed struggle. The announcement came weeks after a letter from Ocalan, who has been held in solitary confinement on Imrali Island since 1999, urged the group to take steps toward peace.

“After 41 years of military operations, we have made the historic decision to disband,” Hiwa said in a written response. “This is a serious step to open the door to peace.”

The PKK now expects Turkey to take reciprocal action, including changes to Ocalan’s detention conditions.

“We believe Ocalan must be given space and freedom to lead this process effectively,” Hiwa said, adding that “Leader Apo” — a reference to Ocalan’s nickname — must have full access to work under safe and fair conditions.

No Concrete Steps Yet

Hiwa told AFP that the PKK’s dissolution decision was made during a recent internal congress and emphasized that only Ocalan has the legitimacy to implement that decision in practice.

“There are ongoing contacts inside Imrali,” he said, but added that formal negotiations with the Turkish government have yet to begin.

The Turkish government has not responded publicly to the dissolution but has stated it will observe the situation closely to ensure it is not a tactical move.

Military operations by Turkish forces against PKK positions in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan have continued in recent weeks. Turkey operates several bases in the region and carries out frequent airstrikes and artillery attacks.

Hiwa criticized Turkey’s military actions, saying they undermine any move toward peaceful resolution. “While we have made goodwill gestures, the Turkish state continues bombardments,” he said.

Reintegration, Not Exile

Addressing reports from Turkish media suggesting that low-level PKK members might be allowed to return to Turkey without facing charges while leaders could face exile, Hiwa rejected the proposal outright.

“Real peace cannot be built on forced exile,” he said. “There needs to be legal reforms that allow full reintegration of PKK members into society.”

The PKK’s fighters have largely been based in the rugged areas of Iraqi Kurdistan for over a decade, outside Turkey’s direct reach but still within its military scope.

The Kurdish population, estimated at over 40 million — an ethnic group spread across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran — has long sought greater political and cultural rights, and in some cases, autonomy or independence.

In Syria, Kurdish-led forces are the core of the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces. Turkey considers them an extension of the PKK. Hiwa declined to address developments involving the SDF directly.

“We are focused solely on the process between the PKK and Turkey,” he said. “However, this move will surely have wider effects on Kurdish issues in the region.”

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, began its armed insurgency against the Turkish government in 1984, seeking increased autonomy for Kurds in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur), the Kurdish region in the southeastern region of the country.

Despite Kurds accounting for nearly 30 percent of Turkey’s population of 85 million, the Turkish constitution has never formally recognized Kurdish identity or cultural rights.

The conflict, now in its fourth decade, has claimed more than 40,000 lives, including members of the Turkish military and PKK guerrillas.

The PKK has typically directed its attacks at military and security targets, with the group strictly avoiding civilian casualties. That position has prompted some international organizations to urge a re-evaluation of the PKK’s designation as a “terrorist” organization by Turkey and many Western countries.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)