DEM Party ready to facilitate implementation of Ocalan’s peace message: Spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Monday reiterated its commitment to facilitating the implementation of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan’s call for his group to disarm.

“We as the DEM Party, reiterate our support for Mr. Ocalan’s historic call, made despite his isolation, to the world. We take this initiative very seriously,” said DEM Party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan in a press conference.

On Thursday, a DEM Party delegation shared a letter from Ocalan in which he urged the PKK to disarm and disband. The message - conveyed from Turkey’s secluded Imrali prison where Ocalan has been imprisoned since 1999 - has sparked hope for the resolution to the nearly four-decade conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which has claimed over 40,000 lives.

“We are ready for any initiative and responsibility to facilitate the implementation of [Ocalan’s] call for 'peace and a democratic society' as soon as possible,” the DEM Party stated, emphasizing its readiness “to gladly implement the needs of this call and expedite the process.”

Ocalan’s message came at the heels of weeks of peace talks mediated by the DEM Party between Kurdish and Turkish politicians. The talks were notably initiated by Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Bahceli had proposed last year that Ocalan address the Turkish parliament to formally announce the PKK’s disarmament and dissolution.

Meanwhile, Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on Monday denied any negotiations between Ankara and the PKK, stressing that the PKK and its alleged affiliates in Syria must lay down their arms. Celik’s remarks followed a party meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - which is the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the Syrian offshoot of the PKK. The SDF serves as the de facto army of the Kurdish majority northeast Syria (Rojava).

Following Ocalan’s message, Erdogan on Saturday said that Turkey remains open to dialogue and compromise but warned that military operations would continue “if the promises given are not kept.”

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