Official : Turkey Opens Disarmament Talks With Ocalan

[talsor]

Turkey Opens Disarmament Talks With Jailed PKK Leader

Turkey has officially opened peace negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), for convincing him to disarm the rebel group, a senior Turkish official said on Tuesday.

In an interview with NTV television, Yalcin Akdogan, the top political adviser to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the decision was taken after the Turkish government realized that it is unlikely to defeat the rebel movement just by using military means.

"The goal is the disarmament of the PKK. The government supports any dialogue to this end that could result in a halt to violence. You cannot get results and abolish an organization only with armed struggle," Akdogan said, adding that Ocalan remains a "main actor" in efforts to end the Kurdish insurgency.

Ocalan has been incarcerated since 1999 at a prison in a remote island off the Istanbul coast. Although he was initially sentenced to death in 1999 for treason, it was later commuted to lifer after Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2002.

It is widely believed that Ocalan continues to lead the PKK from his cell, although some doubt his influence over hardline PKK militants based in northern Iraq. Ocalan is said to be backing the Turkish government's ongoing efforts at improving the rights of the country's Kurdish minority for ending the 25-year armed conflict.

The latest development comes amid an escalation in cross-border attacks on Turkish military targets by PKK fighters based in northern Iraq. Ankara often responds to the rebel attacks by launching massive military operations along its borders and carrying out numerous air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq.

Turkey, which has a Kurdish population of just under 20 percent, has initiated efforts aimed at improving the rights of the country's Kurdish minority to end the nearly three-decade-long armed separatist movement. An end to the Kurdish uprising is expected to help Turkey secure the much-coveted EU membership.

Reforms planned by Ankara provides more rights to the 40 million-strong Kurdish minority in Turkey's south-east, and includes constitutional reforms, the right to teach Kurdish language in public universities and greater concessions to Kurdish culture.

[Piling]

Did he not already ask it in July 1999, before that sort 'one-side ceased-fire' ? ( I am not sure to remember exactly).

In any case it would be a split between Öcalan's order and the decisions of the PKK leaders.

[Anthea]

Perhaps a better question would be: "Should PKK disarm if Ocalan make the order?"

My personal opinion is that Kurds could never ever trust Turkey and should unite and declare North Kurdistan INDEPENDENT because if they do not unite now they will be lost for ever

I am NOT Kurdish but have had many Kurdish friends for more than 30 years. I have listened to the horror stories of what Turks have done to Kurds. Every single Kurd I have ever known has wanted to live in an independent Kurdistan. I have had Turkish students who HATE Kurds and you would not believe how deep that hatred is.

Since I started writing this I have had several messages from Kurdish friends who are HORRIFIED at the thought of giving up, especially after all the THOUSANDS of Kurds Turkey has killed.

What is this my friends tell me about a general being locked up today?

[Anthea]

Did he not already ask it in July 1999, before that sort 'one-side ceased-fire' ? ( I am not sure to remember exactly).

In any case it would be a split between Öcalan's order and the decisions of the PKK leaders.

I remember there being a split when Ocalan was arrested and if Ocalan tries to tell the PKK to lay down arms the youth will NOT agree nor with most of the party leaders.

We all know that Turkey is frightened because Kurds are becoming stronger especially in SK

[thesunchild]

Northern Peshmerga will never disarm. Just tell me when North Kurdistan was Peshmerga-free region? Never. Northern Kurds had always own Kurdish army and will always have own Kurdish army.

[Aslan]

i clicked yes

[Piling]

Akat Ata and Ahmet Türk met Öcalan but have not still unveiled anything about their talking.

I think that the show will begin soon : the turmoil between what Öcalan told, did not told to BDP/MIT/Layers/Brother, what the BDP/MIT/Layers/Brother will tell or not about what he did tell or did not tell, and what people will accept to believe or don't belief about he told or untold… etc., etc…

[Anthea]

We should all remember that erDOGan is under a great deal of pressure to stem the violence, particularly with presidential elections next year in which he is expected to stand.

erDOGan is solely politically motivated. He is NOT a particularly well loved leader among the Turks and unless he is seen to make some dramatic changes he is DOOMED. So sad BYE BYE erDOGan

[Qonyeyi]

Ocalan would never ask such thing. Ocalan emphasizes a great deal in his books about how it should be a legal minimum for Kurds to defend themselves and create local defense forces.

[talsor]

Personally I think the response to his order of disarming will be obeyed and who would dare to say no to Ocalan ?

Unless there is real negotiation about Kurdish rights and guaranteed rights in the constitution , PKK should never ever disarm no matter who is asking .

[Fire]

Everytime when this disgusting Turks are under massive pressure, they bring Öcalan into Play and try to use him as a tool to weaken the Kurdish freedom movement and to stop the PKK. How many times will we fall for it? This sucks massively. Only three days ago Kerdogan said that Pkk Kurds should leave the Country or live in their hollows. Every single day, the racist turkish Police attack Kurds on the street and kill children. And then there are still Kurds like the BDP who say they are ready to talk at the table about peace. Enough is enough. I say it very honestly. BDP is getting more and more annoying. With this Cowards we will never achieve our aim. They just don't have the balls. It's simple as that. If Kerdogan would say once again a joke like they are ready to talk the BDP would be the first one to talk with him and to agree with him. It makes me sick. I say it very honestly. The kurdish Nation must decide NOW. Do they want to go the way of the BDP which means to not make any Progress and never achieve our freedom and get attacked by Turkish Police every single day or are we ready to really fight till the end for our freedom (with weapons). Think about it.

[thesunchild]

We must fight to a bitter end. Millions of Kurds will die, but at the end we will gain our freedom. For higher and noble goals the ultimate sacrifice (martyrdom) is necessary. Otherwise you will never achieve anything.

[kardox]

I think they will , I hope they wont.

[Anthea]

I think that if the PKK disarm the majority of Kurds will NOT support them and without the PKK a lot more Kurds will die needlessly.

Kurds great strength is in their numbers if, as erDOGan is trying, Ocalan is used to suppress Kurds and the Kurds become further divided the tribal leaders will take charge and there will be a bloodbath.

[Senti69]

Nor Turkey nor Kurds can win this war...

That being said, it is time to make a compromise. Personally; I have always sympathized the PKK.
The PKK has been a great asset to the Kurds in the 80's and 90's. They have put us on the map!
The war has evolved and a different type of enemy has been brought forward. It is time the Kurds and PKK adapt to the new war.
Ocalan realizes this, BDP realizes this.

The MHP & national Turks want to continue this war.. the nationalist Kurds want to continue this war.
And as a result, young men and women are becoming the victims of this bloody war.
We should continue our struggle on the streets, in courts and in parlement!

The question to this subject is how far is Turkey willing to go for the disarmament of the PKK?
Will there be sufficient playground for the MP's and NGO's such as the KCK to perform their duties?