A senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party told AFP that the group will not move forward in its peace efforts with Turkey unless Ankara advances talks by releasing PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan. Speaking from a fortified bunker in Iraqs Qandil mountains, commander Amed Malazgirt stated that all measures initiated by Ocalan had already been carried out and that no new steps would be taken by the PKK.
Malazgirt emphasized that the next moves must come from the Turkish government, stressing that the peace process cannot succeed without Ocalans freedom and formal constitutional recognition of Kurds within Turkey.
Inside the mountain bunker, commanders and fighters in uniform gathered in a heated room decorated with images of Ocalan and fallen members. Interviews were recorded using equipment provided by the group due to strict security restrictions on outside devices. Female commander Serda Mazlum Gabar noted that neither the Kurdish people nor the guerrilla forces could consider themselves free while Ocalan remains imprisoned.
Ocalan, now 76, has directed the peace dialogue from his isolated cell on Imrali Island, where he has been held since 1999. A delegation of Turkish lawmakers involved in shaping the peace initiative visited him earlier this week.
Recent months have seen the PKK take significant steps toward ending its armed campaign, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths over several decades. In May, the organization publicly ended its armed resistance and held a ceremony in northern Iraq where fighters burned their weapons as a symbolic gesture of commitment to peace. The group has also begun withdrawing its forces from Turkish territory, completing several phases of the pullout.
Malazgirt reiterated that the PKK has pledged not to use weapons against the Turkish state. Turkey, meanwhile, has established a crossparty parliamentary committee to develop the political and legal framework needed to advance negotiations and potentially integrate PKK members into political life.
According to Gabar, the PKK aims to pursue a democratic struggle for Kurdish rights, adding that many would prefer to carry out this political effort inside Turkey if conditions allowed. She emphasized that while armed struggle may evolve into different forms, the guerrilla movement itself would continue to adapt and transform.