 has ruled out any concessions to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) following a recent call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, for the group to lay down its arms and disband, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.){kind=link}
A spokesperson for Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has ruled out any concessions to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) following a recent call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, for the group to lay down its arms and disband, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.
In a landmark declaration read out in İstanbul last Thursday, Öcalan urged the PKK to lay down its arms without setting preconditions for the government. His statement has fueled speculation that Ankara may have made undisclosed concessions to the militant group. Some opposition politicians have criticized the government for a lack of transparency in its talks with Öcalan.
Speaking after a Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting on Monday, AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik denied claims that the government had engaged in negotiations or made compromises in exchange for Öcalan’s statement.
“We see that some politicians are asking what concessions the state has made in exchange for this process. There is no bargaining or give-and-take regarding the state’s fundamental principles and the values of our nation,” Çelik said. “The core principle is that our issues should be resolved through democracy and politics.”
Founded by Öcalan in 1978, the PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey’s southeast since 1984. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Öcalan did not specify what steps, if any, the Turkish government would take to address Kurdish demands for broader political and cultural rights, either.
Opposition leader’s criticism
Çelik also responded to criticism from Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who initially took what Çelik described as a “balanced and prudent” stance on Öcalan’s call but later changed his position.
After Öcalan’s statement, Özel welcomed the move in a post on X, saying the CHP would continue advocating for a democratic resolution to the Kurdish issue through parliament. The term “Kurdish issue” refers to the demand for equal rights and recognition of Turkey’s Kurdish population.
The following day, however, Özel criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a lack of transparency in the process. He accused Erdoğan of shifting political risk onto his far-right coalition partner, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, whose support has been instrumental in the peace efforts. Özel claimed that Erdoğan sought to avoid accountability while benefiting politically.
“Some people are asking the government, ‘What did you give in return for this process?’ We have already said this is not a matter of bargaining,” Çelik said. “Some people are attempting to impose conditions on the state in the legal and political spheres, but we reject these approaches.”
Çelik accused Özel of basing his remarks on “hearsay” from retired diplomats in the ranks of the CHP.
Erdoğan’s warning
Çelik also dismissed criticism from some groups who argue that talks with Öcalan disregard the sensitivities of families who lost loved ones in the conflict with the PKK. He said that as in previous years, Erdoğan held his first iftar of Ramadan with families of fallen soldiers and veterans.
During the iftar dinner on Saturday, Erdoğan warned that Turkey would continue military operations against outlawed Kurdish militants unless they upheld their pledge to disband.
Speaking just hours after the PKK declared a ceasefire following Öcalan’s call, Erdoğan assured victims’ families that there was nothing in the initiative “that would disturb the sacred spirits of our martyrs.”
He added, “Turkey will be the winner, as well as our children, the guarantee of our bright tomorrows.”
However, he cautioned, “We always keep our iron fist ready in case the hand we extend is left hanging in the air or bitten.”