عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)

Türkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the militant Kurdish group’s announcement that it is dissolving and ending its decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies.

In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle.

Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions.

“We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Fahrettin Altun, the head of the Turkish presidential communications office said.

The PKK initially launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the 1980s.

The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled “Terror-Free Türkiye” was launched in October, after a key ally of Erdogan suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands.

Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK’s decision.

Media close to the government have reported that the PKK’s disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision.

According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq.

The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration.

Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report.

Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment.

Erdogan said Monday the PKK’s declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.

The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan’s call for a dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria.

The group then reached an agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the Syrian government.

Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Italians Head to Polls in Referendum on Citizenship and Labor, But Vote Risks Sinking on Low Turnout

A woman casts her ballot in a box for referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Claudio Furlan/ LaPresse via AP)
A woman casts her ballot in a box for referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Claudio Furlan/ LaPresse via AP)
TT
TT

Italians Head to Polls in Referendum on Citizenship and Labor, But Vote Risks Sinking on Low Turnout

A woman casts her ballot in a box for referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Claudio Furlan/ LaPresse via AP)
A woman casts her ballot in a box for referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Claudio Furlan/ LaPresse via AP)

Italians headed to the polls Monday on the second and final day of referendums that would make it easier for children born in Italy to foreigners to obtain citizenship, and on providing more job protections. But partial data showed a low turnout, well below the required 50% plus one threshold, risking to invalidate the vote.
Campaigners for the change in the citizenship law say it will help second-generation Italians born in the country to non- European Union parents better integrate into a culture they already see as theirs, The Associated Press said.
Partial data from Italy’s Interior Ministry published at 2100 GMT on Sunday showed that national turnout stood at 22.7%, just over half of the 41% registered at the same time of the day in the latest comparable referendum held in 2011. The polling stations close later Monday at 1300 GMT.
The new rules, if passed, could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals who still struggle to be recognized as citizens.
The measures were proposed by Italy’s main union and left-wing opposition parties. Premier Giorgia Meloni showed up at the polls on Sunday evening but didn't cast a ballot — an action widely criticized by the left as antidemocratic, since it won't contribute to reaching the necessary threshold to make the vote valid.
“While some members of her ruling coalition have openly called for abstention, Meloni has opted for a more subtle approach,“ said analyst Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy based in London. ”It’s yet another example of her trademark fence-sitting.’’
Rights at stake
Supporters say this reform would bring Italy’s citizenship law in line with many other European countries, promoting greater social integration for long-term residents. It would also allow faster access to civil and political rights, such as the right to vote, eligibility for public employment and freedom of movement within the EU.
“The real drama is that neither people who will vote ‘yes’ nor those who intend to vote ‘no’ or abstain have an idea of what (an) ordeal children born from foreigners have to face in this country to obtain a residence permit,” said Selam Tesfaye, an activist and campaigner with the Milan-based human rights group Il Cantiere.
Activists and opposition parties also denounced the lack of public debate on the measures, accusing the governing center-right coalition of trying to dampen interest in sensitive issues that directly impact immigrants and workers.
In May, Italy’s AGCOM communications authority lodged a complaint against RAI state television and other broadcasters over a lack of adequate and balanced coverage.
Opinion polls published in mid-May showed that only 46% of Italians were aware of the issues driving the referendums. Turnout projections were even weaker for a vote scheduled for the first weekend of Italy’s school holidays, at around 35% of around 50 million electors, well below the required quorum.
“Many believe that the referendum institution should be reviewed in light of the high levels of abstention (that) emerged in recent elections and the turnout threshold should be lowered,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, political analyst and pollster at YouTrend.
Some analysts note, however, that the center-left opposition could claim a victory even if the referendum fails on condition that the turnout surpasses the 12.3 million voters who backed the winning center-right coalition in the 2022 general election.

OSZAR »