Öcalan statement imminent: Will Turkey and the Kurdish PKK end 40 years of conflict? | DW News

Turkey is gripped by uncertainty ahead of an imminent statement by jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), whose impact is impossible to predict. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil and is designated a terror group by the US and the EU. Ocalan, serving life without parole since 1999, was recently allowed his first political visits in almost a decade, and a senior Turkish politician has hinted that the 'top terrorist' could be pardoned if he tells the PKK to disarm. Although no timing has been set for Ocalan's message, he could use the February 15 anniversary of his arrest to address Ankara's call for the PKK to lay down its arms. Here is what you should know about the latest effort to bring an end to Turkey's 40-year Kurdish conflict.

#Turkey #PKK #Öcalan

For more news go to

Follow DW on social media:

Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie