UN chief says Öcalan call for PKK to disband is 'glimmer of hope'
ISTANBUL
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres "welcomes" the historic call by Terror group PKK's leader Abdullah Öcalan to dissolve the movement, calling it a "glimmer of hope," according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"The Secretary General welcomes this important development," Dujarric told reporters. "This represents a glimmer of hope which would lead to a resolution of a long standing conflict."
The White House also welcomed the announcement, expressing its belief that the call “will help bring peace to this troubled region,” according to a spokesperson.
"It's a significant development and we hope that it will help assuage our Turkish allies about U.S. counter-ISIS partners in northeast Syria. We believe it will help bring peace to this troubled region," said Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
A spokesperson for the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement that the German leader welcomes the move by Öcalan.
“PKK is a banned terrorist organization in Germany and its conflict has resulted in many casualties. Öcalan’s request now finally creates an opportunity to overcome this violent struggle and achieve a permanent peaceful development in the Kurdish issue,” Scholz added.
In a statement, the German Foreign Ministry also said the call was a "historic chance" to bring to an end their decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
London remains committed to “supporting efforts that reduce conflict and promote stability both in Türkiye and across the wider region,” said a spokesperson from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
"We welcome progress towards peace and security for the people of Türkiye, a close NATO ally and longstanding partner in counter-terrorism. We encourage all parties to engage in a peaceful and constructive process that ensures security, stability and respect for the rule of law.
Iraq was among the countries expressing support for the process, with Baghdad saying the call was "a positive and important step towards achieving stability in the region.”
It could contribute to "enhancing security not only in Iraq... but in the entire region,” the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said, adding that "political solutions and dialogue are the best way to resolve differences and end conflicts."
Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) expressed its full support for the peace process.
The Kurdistan administration “is prepared to play a facilitating role and provide any assistance necessary to advance the process,” KRG President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement.
Barzani also called on the terror group to follow the call by the jailed leader.
PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU, with Ankara seeing YPG as PKK’s offshoot in Syria.
Separately, the head of the YPG terrorist organization stated that while his group welcomed the call, it did not apply to them.
Mazloum Abdi said the call was only to PKK and was "not related to us in Syria.”
"If there is peace in Türkiye that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria," Abdi said.
Another top figure in the PKK/PYD terrorist organization, Salih Muslim, told Al Arabiya that the group agrees with Öcalan’s statements.
“If we are allowed to operate as a political group, we will lay down our arms."
Muslim stated they would assess the call with actors in northeastern Syria and outline a roadmap.
PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.
