https://arab.news/4wfs9
- Kingdom expressed its solidarity with Turkiye and voiced hope that Ocalan’s remarks would translate into concrete steps
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday welcomed a recent call by Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party — PKK — for the militant group to disband and lay down its arms.
In a statement, the Kingdom expressed its solidarity with Turkiye and voiced hope that Ocalan’s remarks would translate into concrete steps toward enhancing security, peace and prosperity in the region.
Ocalan’s message, which was read out in Istanbul on Thursday, marked a historic shift in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state.
“All groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself,” he said in a declaration drafted from his cell on Imrali prison island, where he has been held in solitary confinement since 1999.
The call for disarmament comes four months after Turkish authorities extended an apparent olive branch to the 75-year-old PKK leader. The militant group has waged an armed insurgency against Turkiye since the 1980s, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Ocalan has played a central role in previous peace negotiations, including a ceasefire attempt in 2013, although previous efforts have failed to yield a lasting resolution. His latest appeal is being closely watched for potential implications on Turkiye’s security landscape and regional stability.