GPS News
THE STANS
Jailed PKK leader working on Turkey-Kurd peace plan: lawmaker
Jailed PKK leader working on Turkey-Kurd peace plan: lawmaker
by AFP Staff Writers
Arbil, Iraq (AFP) Feb 17, 2025

Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is working on a "democratic" settlement to the four-decade conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militants, a pro-Kurdish party delegation member said on Monday after wrapping up talks in Arbil.

A delegation from the main pro-Kurdish DEM party visited Ocalan twice over the past weeks, and then held talks with Turkey's main parliamentary factions before travelling to Iraq last weekend.

The delegation in Iraq, which included two DEM lawmakers as well as Keskin Bayindir from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) with two seats in the Turkish parliament, met with Kurdistan's regional president Nechirvan Barzani in Arbil.

"Mr. Ocalan is working hard to find a process that could lead to a solution despite all the difficult conditions," Bayindir told reporters after the meeting.

"He is working to remove this issue from the field of war and conflict and to establish a democratic and legal process" to resolve the conflict, he added.

"This roadmap will also stop the crises in the Middle East," Bayindir said.

Although no timing has been set for presenting Ocalan's plan, Kurdish politicians are confident it will be soon, and no later than Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, in March.

The delegation will hold talks in Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday.

Militants from Ocalan's PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, operate in Iraq's Kurdistan region, where Turkey also maintains military bases.

With peace efforts frozen for nearly a decade, Turkey's hardline nationalist MHP party unexpectedly offered an olive branch to Ocalan in October.

It urged him to renounce violence in exchange for a possible early release from Imrali island, where he has been serving a life sentence in solitary confinement since 1999.

Backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the call has renewed hopes of an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands.

Related Links
News From Across The Stans

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
THE STANS
Turkish pro-Kurd MPs meet veteran Kurdish leader in Iraq
Arbil, Iraq (AFP) Feb 16, 2025
Pro-Kurdish Turkish lawmakers conveyed a message Sunday to Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani from Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who is expected to decide on a long-awaited peace process with Turkey. A delegation from the main pro-Kurdish DEM party visited Ocalan twice over the past six weeks, and then held talks with Turkey's main parliamentary factions. Although no timing has been set for Ocalan's statement, Kurdish politicians are confident it wil ... read more

THE STANS
Pesticides causing widespread harm to animals and plants: study

Bordeaux wine harvest drops to lowest level since 1991

Hong Kong scientists fight to save fragrant incense trees

Drying and rewetting cycles amplify soil CO2 emissions

THE STANS
Smaller but Stronger Relaxor Films Reveal Performance Sweet Spot

Neutrons Reveal Magnetic Spiral Structure in Layered Perovskites for Future Quantum Technologies

New AI Function on the Horizon Thanks to Electrically Programmable Spintronic Device

China's SMIC says 2024 profit down 45.4% from last year

THE STANS
U.S. border officials report uptick in laser-pointer incidents aimed at commercial, military aircraft

Russian airspace closure raises CO2 emissions from flying: study

Poland says Russia briefly violated its airspace; Australia accuses China fighter jet of 'unsafe' conduct

Urban Sky Secures $30 Million in Series B Round to Advance Stratospheric Innovation

THE STANS
Chinese auto giant BYD to integrate DeepSeek, broaden self-driving tech

Toyota announces Lexus EV plant in Shanghai

Norway nears 100% goal of all-electric cars

EU vows 'action plan' for beleaguered auto sector

THE STANS
China condemns US 'tariff shocks' at WTO

Online shopping giants bet on AI to curb clothes returns

US or China? Latin America under pressure to pick a side

Mining giant BHP says demand strong as China recovers

THE STANS
Trees Struggle to Adapt to Climate Change Without Human Assistance CSU Study Finds

Forest mission showcased ahead of launch

Green light for AI-driven mapping of New Zealand's forests

Launch of the most comprehensive European wetland map

THE STANS
BlackSky Secures Multi-Year Contracts to Enhance India's Earth Observation Capabilities

Sentinel-1C Proves Capability to Monitor Land Deformation with Precision

ATLAS bolsters radio frequency network through new HawkEye 360 alliance

Validation technique could help scientists make more accurate forecasts

THE STANS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.