In a momentous message from his prison, Abdullah Ocalan called on the PKK to convene a congress and take the decision to lay down arms and dissolve itself. The message, relayed by senior pro-Kurdish party officials, was part of a new peace initiative to end a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The PKK’s leadership, which is based in northern Iraq, has not yet responded to Ocalan’s call. In Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF which includes the YPG welcomed Ocalan’s call for disarmament as an “opportunity to build peace and a key to opening correct and constructive relations in the region. A senior Turkish official on Friday called for the dissolution of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party’s affiliates in Iraq and Syria, a day after the PKK’s imprisoned leader urged his militant group to disarm and disband in a bid to end a four-decade conflict with Turkey. Is the world wars slowly ending ?
