PKK leader Ocalan's historic call to disarm faces a major obstacle: Syria
Middle East Eye
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By Ragip Soylu - MEE Turkey Bureau Chief
Hopes are running high in Turkey over the potential end to one of the world's longest-running conflicts.
Two weeks ago, Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), issued a historic call for the group he founded in 1984 to disband.
When making his announcement, Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on Turkey's Imrali Island since 1999, went beyond what many had expected and completely abandoned his ideological philosophy.
He declared confederalism, autonomy, and cultural autonomy irrelevant in the modern world, and effectively renounced the idea of Kurdish self-determination.
Instead, the 76-year-old said that Kurds should focus on building a democratic society and state within Turkey and other regions.
The announcement wasn't entirely unexpected.
Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, a close political ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had already called on Ocalan to make such a statement in October - possibly even at the Turkish parliament.
Since then, Bahceli - formerly a vocal advocate for a harsh crackdown against pro-Kurdish politicians and mayors - has initiated phone conversations with pro-Kurdish leaders of the Dem Party and numerous liberal figures who have long advocated for a peaceful resolution.
In a call to Dem Party co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan, Bahceli notably remarked: "We will democratise this country together."
However, despite the positive reactions - including the PKK officially supporting Ocalan's call and agreeing to convene a congress to iron out the process - there remains a significant obstacle: Syria.
PKK headquarters might be resisting Ocalan
When Ocalan said that "all groupings of the PKK" must disarm and dissolve, many assumed this included Syrian Kurdish armed groups, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and People's Protection Units (YPG), which are widely seen as PKK offshoots.
However, perceptions quickly shifted after statements from the SDF and the Dem Party indicated otherwise.
Tayip Temel, a deputy co-chair of the Dem Party, who was part of the delegation visiting Ocalan during the drafting of his statement on 27 February, told the media that Ocalan's call did not extend to Syrian groups.
Many in Ankara believe Temel has close connections to the PKK headquarters in the Qandil Mountains in Iraq, interpreting his remarks as evidence of internal disagreements within PKK leadership on how to interpret Ocalan's remarks.
Similarly, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi - a former PKK commander - welcomed Ocalan's call at a 27 February press conference but also maintained that it did not apply to Syrian groups.
Yet, it became clear there was no unified stance within PKK-affiliated groups.
Salih Muslim, co-chairman of the YPG's political wing PYD, stated in an interview with Al Arabiya the same day that his group could disarm and continue purely as a political organisation once threats from groups such as the Islamic State were eliminated.
It appears evident that the PKK aims to protect its existence and preserve its primary regional achievement by excluding the SDF from Ocalan's call.
However, this approach is unlikely to satisfy Ankara.
In a weekend statement, Bahceli emphasised that the YPG's claims regarding Ocalan's call entirely contradict the foundational and organisational nature of the PKK.
Interestingly, Bahceli's remarks imply that the SDF must follow top-down directives from PKK leadership - an assertion hardly imaginable a year ago.
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"The founder of the terrorist organisation has demanded its dissolution," Bahceli said.
"Apart from this, playing for time, muddying the waters, deliberately stalling provocatively to undermine and incite against the ongoing positive agenda, and intensifying political and legal demands constitute recklessness."
Meanwhile, as Abdi continues negotiations with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeking an arrangement that preserves his fighting force as a unified structure within the Syrian Defense Ministry and secures concessions for Kurdish autonomy, he is simultaneously keeping other options open.
In an interview last week, Abdi notably suggested that Syrian Kurds were open to cooperation with Israel - an inflammatory statement given Israel's occupation in southern Syria and its threats against Sharaa and the Damascus government.
Ultimately, Syria will serve as the real test for Ocalan's call.
Whether it succeeds or collapses largely depends on how Abdi navigates relations with Damascus and whether he can convincingly demonstrate to Ankara the expulsion of all PKK commanders and integration of his forces into the Syrian government.
Coincidentally, the first peace process between Turkey and the PKK collapsed in 2015 once the group started to control large swathes of territory in Syria.
Over the weekend, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan clearly emphasised that Ankara would not tolerate any PKK presence in northern Syria, whether by force or other means.
Sirri Sureyya Onder, a Dem politician who previously led the so-called Imrali Delegation to convey messages between Ocalan and Turkish and foreign actors, announced intentions to visit Syria soon alongside Pervin Buldan, another Dem politician with close communication with Ocalan.
On Monday, however, the Dem Party clarified that such a visit would take place only with Ankara's approval.
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