Ocalan Considers Peace Call Amid Historic Opportunities

Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of Turkey's PKK, has signaled potential readiness to call for PKK militants to disarm, following encouragement from Erdogan ally Devlet Bahceli. This comes amid regional changes and a proposed deal involving Ocalan's release. The situation emphasizes the urgency of resolving the Kurdish issue.

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has expressed potential willingness to call for militants to disarm. This statement follows a suggestion by Devlet Bahceli, a pivotal ally of President Erdogan, urging an end to the PKK's decades-long insurgency.

In a rare prison meeting, two parliamentarians from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party discussed the matter with Ocalan. The discussion was prompted by Bahceli's proposal to resolve the 40-year conflict in exchange for Ocalan's potential release. Erdogan labeled the proposal as a 'historic window of opportunity,' yet refrained from addressing a peace process directly.

Ocalan, imprisoned for 25 years, highlighted recent events in Syria as making the Kurdish issue 'undelayable.' Hinting at the need for political involvement, he emphasized readiness to contribute to the new peace paradigm proposed by Bahceli and Erdogan. The PKK conflict, deemed a terrorist matter by Turkey and its allies, has claimed over 40,000 lives.

(With inputs from agencies.)