UN Chief says Öcalan Call for PKK to Disband is 'Glimmer of Hope'

"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."

In a major shift, a declaration from Öcalan earlier on Thursday said that "all groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself".

In a statement late Thursday, Iraq's foreign ministry said Öcalan's call for the group to lay down its arms 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", said the ministry.

The statement stressed that "political solutions and dialogue are the best way to resolve differences and end conflicts".

The president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, also welcomed Thursday Öcalan's call.

"We warmly welcome Öcalan's message... and we call on the PKK to adhere to and implement this message," Barzani said on X.

"We in the Kurdistan region fully support the peace process," he added, offering his support to ensure its success.

In a statement, the German foreign ministry said the call was a "historic chance" to bring to an end their decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also welcomed Öcalan's call.

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes today's call by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to lay down arms and dissolve the PKK,” German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

“The PKK is a banned terrorist organization in Germany and its struggle has claimed many victims. Öcalan's demand now offers the opportunity to finally overcome this violent struggle and to achieve a lasting, peaceful development of the Kurdish issue,” Scholz said.

PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Source: HDN