Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who is being held on the island of Imrali, has released a video message ahead of the planned disarmament process (July 11, 2025).
“The PKK movement and the strategy of national liberation war that nurtures it are over,” he said.
This is Öcalan’s first live broadcast since 1999. He stated that he continues to defend the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society of February 27, 2025,” and emphasized that the process has reached a “historic and valuable” stage.
“The PKK movement and its strategy, which was based on the rejection of identity and aimed at creating an independent state, are over. Identity has been recognized, so the main goal has been achieved,” the Kurdish leader emphasized.
Referring to the disarmament process set to begin on July 11, Öcalan emphasized the importance of a “voluntary transition” and the establishment of an “authorized and legally established committee” in the Turkish parliament.
“It would be valuable for the Turkish parliament and the public if you openly ensure the disarmament process, dispelling public doubts and complying with our promises,” he stressed.
In conclusion, Öcalan noted that the establishment of a disarmament mechanism would move the process forward, and that it should not be perceived as a defeat, but as a “historic achievement.” He added that all the details of the disarmament would be determined and implemented quickly.
