The 75-year-old imprisoned leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, called on the organization earlier in the week to lay down its arms and dissolve. Thousands of people had gathered in front of large screens in cities with large Kurdish populations, and a certain confusion arose in the crowds after the announcement, reported various media outlets.
Öcalan, who has been imprisoned and isolated for over 25 years, said that the Kurdish people should no longer strive for self-government.
There were many people who cried and wondered why Öcalan had given up so much without getting anything in return, says Selim Kurt, a journalist who attended a gathering in the city of Diyarbakir, to the news site al-Monitor.
Wants to change the constitution
The PKK has previously declared a ceasefire without conditions – but in the new statement, it is emphasized that Öcalan must be present at the organization's congress in March.
It's a way of saying that "now steps are also required from the Turkish state", says Paul Levin.
Backroom negotiations are said to have been going on for almost a year. According to unconfirmed media reports, Öcalan and other Kurdish representatives have been promised releases or amnesties for imprisoned Kurds and former PKK members. Erdogan, in turn, wants to change the constitution to be able to sit for another term in power.
He needs more votes in parliament, and then a candidate is the pro-Kurdish party. So he can kill two birds with one stone, make a deal with them and potentially split the opposition ahead of the next election, says Paul Levin.
The changed geopolitical situation also plays a role, where Turkey wants to prevent rivals like Iran and Israel from arming the PKK and using the organization as a proxy.
Repression increases
But at the same time as the Kurds are now, according to Öcalan, supposed to strive for "democratic consensus" instead of self-government, the Turkish regime is increasing its repression broadly against the opposition. Hundreds of Kurds have been arrested in recent weeks.
So there are still many obstacles on the way to a solution, says Paul Levin.
If the PKK dissolves, there is, on the one hand, a risk that the Kurds' foremost advocates will be silenced, according to Paul Levin. But on the other hand, it could lead to the Turkish state stopping to treat Kurdish rights as solely a security issue.
If the risk decreases that other organizations working for Kurdish rights will be accused of supporting terrorism, it would be very big.
