Kurdish fighters called the armistice, but Türkiye maintained fatal strikes

Türkiye’s army has maintained deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq on the fighters associated with the Kurdish rebel group PKK in the two weeks since the movement’s founder called on its followers to put their arms and resolve them.

The leadership of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is located in the Qandil Mountains in the Kurdistan region in Iraq, responded to the invitation of the founder, Abdullah Oaklan, by Announcing the ceasefire from one side On March 1. But they said that Türkiye had to release Mr. Oaklan from prison to oversee the disarmament of the group, which is the possibility that Turkish officials did not enjoy publicly.

Previous efforts to negotiate the end of 40 years Türkiye’s PKK conflictThat killed more than 40,000 people, failed. This time, Turkish officials make little information about the status of any talks. But it seems that the process is still progressing, and analysts say Türkiye is not discussing its progress to avoid a possible violent reaction.

What is the PKK?

For more than four decades, Türkiye is fighting an armed rebellion by the Kurdistan Labor Party, or the Kurdistan Workers Party, a militant group that it is seeking to obtain greater rights of the Kurdish minority in the country.

The group began fighting the Turkish state in the early eighties of the last century, as it originally seeks the independence of the Kurds, who are believed to make up about 15 percent or more of Türkiye’s population.

Starting with the mountains in East and South Türkiye, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters attacked Turkish military bases and police stations, prompting harsh government responses. Later, the conflict spread to other parts of the country, with the devastating PKK bombings in Turkish cities that killed many civilians.

Over the past decade, the Turkish army has directed the PKK forces from the major Kurdish cities in southeastern Turkey, with drones to kill their leaders and fighters, which hinders their ability to organize and carry out attacks.

Where do peace talks stand?

Mr. Oaklan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party, issued a A general invitation to his fighters on February 27 for their status Weapons and solution. He said that the armed struggle should be replaced by a peaceful political action to try to gain more rights for the Kurds – the largest ethnic minority in Türkiye.

The PKK leadership responded to the call for a unilateral ceasefire. But Türkiye did not respond in the same way.

Last week, a spokesman for the Turkish Defense Ministry, Admiral Zeki Akurk, said that the Turkish army “will continue its battle against terrorism with design and solution so that there is no single terrorist.” Türkiye considers all members of the PKK and other “terrorist” groups.

The Admiral Alemic said that Türkiye has killed 26 “terrorists” in Syria and Iraq in the previous week and about 1500 since January.

The PKK did not prove these numbers. But its military wing said last week that in recent days, Türkiye had carried out more than 800 strikes in the group’s positions in northern Iraq using fighter planes, helicopters and artillery.

Peace has not yet been speaking, the bilateral ceasefire has not caused, and Turkish leaders have pledged to maintain military pressure on the PKK, which Turkey and the United States consider a terrorist organization.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this month. “But if the hand that we have spanned is left in the air or biting, we will keep the iron grip ready at all times.”

What do you want Türkiye?

Turkish officials described their goal as a unilateral surrender by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is expected to remove its fighters, but there was no public debate about any concessions made by the government in return or the potential darkness of the people wanted for the activity associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party.

The Admiral Aktor “The Kurdistan Workers Party and all its relevant groups must end terrorist activities, and melt themselves and surrender their weapons as they put them without restriction or condition.”

Mr. Erdogan also said that Türkiye will continue to use military force if the Kurdistan Workers Party stops or peace talks stumbled.

He said: “We will continue our continuous operations until the last terrorist is eliminated, without leaving one stone above another and not heading over any shoulders, if necessary.”

What do you want the PKK?

The Kurdistan Workers Party and the long -related groups have sought more rights for the Kurds of Türkiye, which have suppressed its language and culture to the state since Türkiye was formed after the First World War. While some schools in Türkiye now offer optional Kurdish language courses, and some Kurdish linguists have received government licenses, many Cordes will want to expand these rights.

Last week, Mustafa Karasu, a senior official of the PKK, said in a televised interview that the group was serious about disarmament, but Türkiye had to stop hitting the positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party. He went on to say that Mr. Oaklan needs more freedom to be able to help lead the group’s transition.

“We will realize the transformation set by the leadership, the melting of the PKK, and the end of the armed conflict. Mr. Karasu said:” No one doubts that. “Of course, the state, the government, must do what is necessary regarding the democratic character without adopting any excuses.”

Mr. Oaklan has previously invited talks that included Turkish officials, Mr. Oaklan, Iraqi Kurdish leaders and members of the main political party in Türkiye.

Are the Kurdish forces affected in Syria?

Mr. Oaklan is also a figure for a militia led by the Kurdish militia, the Syrian democratic forces, which controls the territories of land in northeastern Syria.

The Turkish government considers that the militia is a branch of the PKK and does not publicly distinguish between them. But the United States views the two groups as separate, and over a decade of time allied with SDF to fight jihadists in the Islamic State in Syria.

On Monday, SDF leader Reach an agreement With the temporary president of Syria, Ahmed Al -Sharra, to integrate the Kurdish power that it leads in the new Syrian state.

Although Mr. Oaklan did not mention Syria specifically in his call for disarmament, some Syrian Kurdish leaders said that the agreement is in line with Mr. Oaklan’s directives.

In televised comments on Tuesday, Mr. Erdogan expressed Türkiye’s support for the new agreement, saying that he would “serve security and peace of Syria.”