Daijiworld Media Network - Ankara

Ankara, Mar 1: The decades-long conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may be approaching a historic turning point after the group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urged members to lay down arms and dissolve the organization.

If the PKK complies, it could reshape Turkey’s political landscape and have significant implications across the Middle East. The armed struggle, which began in 1984, has claimed over 40,000 lives, with its impact spilling into neighboring Iraq, Syria, and Iran.

Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, made a similar appeal in 2015, but peace talks collapsed. This time, analysts suggest that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could leverage the situation to secure Kurdish political support for constitutional changes that may extend his presidency beyond 2028.

Turkey’s war against the PKK has been coupled with crackdowns on pro-Kurdish politicians, while the group remains classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU.

Meanwhile, the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the YPG, has distanced itself from Ocalan’s call. The US-backed militia, central to the fight against ISIS, insists on maintaining its autonomy in Syria despite pressure from the country’s new leadership.

With geopolitical shifts in the region, including Israel’s increasing influence in Syria and Turkey’s strategic realignments, the impact of Ocalan’s latest move remains uncertain. Observers now await whether the PKK’s decision will pave the way for lasting peace—or another cycle of conflict.