ANKARA, Turkey — A Kurdish militant group introduced a historic choice Monday to disband and disarm as a part of a brand new peace initiative with Turkey, after 4 a long time of armed battle.
The choice by the Kurdistan Staff’ Occasion, or PKK, was introduced by the Firat Information Company, a media outlet near the group. It comes days after it convened a celebration congress in northern Iraq.
In February, PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island close to Istanbul since 1999, urged his group to convene a congress and formally determine to disband, marking a pivotal step towards ending the decadeslong battle that has claimed tens of hundreds of lives because the Eighties.
On March 1, the PKK introduced a unilateral ceasefire, however hooked up circumstances, together with the creation of a authorized framework for peace negotiations.
The group has led an armed insurgency since 1984 that has left claimed tens of hundreds of lives. It’s listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Firat information mentioned the congress “determined to dissolve the PKK’s organizational construction and the top armed battle, with the sensible implementation of this course of to be led and overseen by (Ocalan.) Consequently, actions carried out underneath the title ‘PKK’ have been formally terminated.”
Congress assessed that the PKK’s battle had “introduced the Kurdish concern to the purpose of decision by means of democratic politics, thus finishing its historic mission.”