On 27 February 2025, imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) founder and leader Abdullah Öcalan made a historic call for the PKK to lay down its weapons and dissolve the party.
Öcalan’s call was welcomed by the international community, some regional governments and the leaders of the two ruling political parties in Turkey – the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
CPT welcomes these new developments in a war which in Iraqi Kurdistan has caused the displacement, fully or partially, of 1190 villages, and 721 civilian casualties. We believe it is an opportunity not only for the people in Turkey to live in peace but also for the civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan.
On 1 March 2025 the PKK announced they would heed Öcalan’s call and stop all military activities, with the exception of responding to Turkish military attacks. They said, however, that they were unable to dissolve the PKK fully without Öcalan’s attendance at a congress where the decision could be formally passed. While the Turkish leaders individually stated support for the call for peace they have made no comment about how Turkey would support a peace process and the reintegration of PKK members.
Our team continues to observe the military operations in Iraqi Kurdistan and has documented fourteen attacks by Turkey in the 7 days since Öcalan’s call for peace. The PKK has twice responded to these attacks with return fire.
On 27 February, Turkish Fighter Jets bombed Khwakurk and Khnera in the Sidakan district in Erbil governorate – just two hours before the call for peace. One hour after the call for peace, Turkey bombed Bary Gara Mountain in the Amedi district of Duhok governorate. That same day Turkey conducted artillery shelling of Matina Mountain in the Balava and Guharze villages in the Amedi District in Duhok Governorate. In the middle of the night they bombed the area surrounding Galala village in Mawat district.
On 28 February, Turkey conducted artillery shelling again on Matina Mountain between Balava and Guharze villages in Amedi.
On 2 March, Turkey conducted a sustained attack with helicopters and fighter jets on Linky Mountain and Galy Rashava in Deraluk subdistrict. The attack lasted for 45 minutes and is the longest attack since April 2022. PKK fighters responded to this attack by shooting at the helicopter.
On 4 March, Turkish helicopters bombed and fired at Galy Mewin in Balava Village in Amedi district. The artillery shells from the attack landed inside the village.
On 5 March, Turkey conducted artillery shelling of Matina Mountain from their base in Guharze village in Amedi district. In response the PKK fired upon the base. That night Turkey heavily bombed Khandak and Zhazholan valley, behind Galala village in Mawat district, with fighter jets.
In total, 14 attacks have happened since Öcalan’s statement was given. Six attacks were by artillery shelling, five by fighter jets and three by helicopter. Nine of the attacks were in Duhok governorate, three in Sulaimani and two in Erbil.
As evidenced by these attacks, the call for peace needs to be more fundamentally supported by the Turkish government and monitored by the international community.
Peace is a long process and explicit conversations between the Turkish government and PKK still need to be initiated.
CPT will continue to advocate for a true and just peace that includes compensation for those civilians who have been killed and injured in the over-40 year long war, and for the Turkish withdrawal from Iraqi Kurdistan so that people who have been displaced may return to their villages and live in peace.
