Kurdish rebel leader Öcalan in historic ceasefire call in war with Turkey

» Mark Moloney

"Let guns be silenced and politics dominate. It's not the end; it's the start of a new era."

THE LEADER of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, has called on his fighters to enter into a ceasefire with Turkey.

The historic announcement was read on behalf of the imprisoned leader by a Kurdish parliamentarian at a rally in the city of Diyarbakir on Thursday.

"Let guns be silenced and politics dominate," read the statement, "It's not the end; it's the start of a new era. Now it is time for our armed units to move across the border [to northern Iraq]. This is not an end but a new beginning. This is not abandoning the struggle, but a start to a different struggle."

The ceasefire call came after months of consultation between Öcalan, PKK rebels and political leaders across Kurdistan.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the media last year that bringing an end to the war would be his top priority and he would work for peace "even if it costs me my political career". The Turkish opposition has already rounded on the Prime Minister, accusing him of "selling out the country to a bunch of bloody bandits".

The announcement was welcomed by progressive movements across the globe, including here in Ireland, with Sinn Féin International spokesperson Seán Crowe TD telling An Phoblacht that the announcement is "a positive step towards ending the 30-year conflict".

Crowe said:

"I hope the PKK and the Turkish Government will use this historic statement and opportunity to build a robust and long-lasting peace process."

The Turkish media is reporting that a negotiated peace plan will see Kurdish rebels enter a ceasefire and withdraw their fighters across the southern border with Iraq (where an autonomous Kurdish state exists) in exchange for Turkey safeguarding Kurdish rights in a new constitution, including cultural and language rights, and giving more power to local officials. The rebel movement also wants to see the release of thousands of Kurdish political prisoners.

Few had expected the historic announcement as fighting intensified in the region during 2012. However, there were signs of movement earlier in March when the PKK released six captured Turkish troops, a police officer and a local official in what they termed a goodwill gesture.

An estimated 40,000 people have died in the Turkish/Kurdish conflict which began with a Kurdish uprising, led by the PKK, in 1984. The PKK initially demanded an independent Kurdish state in the mountainous south-east of the country but later withdrew this demand, saying an autonomous Kurdistan coupled with cultural and political rights for the estimated 15million Kurds in Turkey would be acceptable.