{"id":14041,"date":"2025-07-08T09:58:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freedomforabdullahocalan.org\/en\/?p=14041"},"modified":"2025-07-08T09:58:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:58:57","slug":"14041","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/?p=14041","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/7\/7\/death-toll-from-texas-floods-rises-to-82-dozens-still-missing\"><br>Texas floods<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/\">News<\/a>|<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/tag\/kurds\/\">Kurds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kurdish leader Ocalan told the PKK to disband, it did: Here\u2019s what to know<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><em>PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is leading peace efforts to end a Kurdish armed rebellion against Turkiye after four decades.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-09T123736Z_640848403_RC243DAQ185S_RTRMADP_3_TURKEY-KURDS-PKK-1747031936.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkiye\" style=\"width:431px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan at a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkiye, February 27, 2025 [Sertac Kayar\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fd25ad2\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Kurdish%20leader%20Ocalan%20told%20the%20PKK%20to%20disband%2C%20it%20did%3A%20Here%E2%80%99s%20what%20to%20know&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fd25ad2\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.io\/d25ad2\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party (PKK) says it is disbanding after more than 40 years of armed struggle against the Turkish state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement came after the PKK held its congress in northern Iraq on Friday, about two months after its imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, also known as \u201cAppo\u201d,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/2\/27\/jailed-pkk-leader-calls-for-end-to-decades-long-conflict-with-turkiye\">called on the group to disarm<\/a>&nbsp;in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/12\/20\/erdogan-urges-end-of-foreign-support-for-kurdish-fighters-in-syria\">Erdogan urges end of foreign support for Kurdish fighters in Syria<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>list 2 of 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/3\/1\/pkk-declares-ceasefire-in-40-year-conflict-with-turkiye-kurdish-media\">PKK declares ceasefire in 40-year conflict with Turkiye<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>list 3 of 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/3\/12\/analysis-call-to-disband-pkk-reshapes-turkiye-syria-power-dynamics\">Analysis: Call to disband PKK reshapes Turkiye, Syria power dynamics<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>end of list<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most of its history, the PKK has been labelled a terrorist group by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States. It fought for Kurdish autonomy for years, a fight that has been declared over now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is all you need to know about why Ocalan and the PKK have given up their armed struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-abdullah-ocalan\">Who is Abdullah Ocalan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ocalan was born to a poor Kurdish farming family on April 4, 1948, in Omerli, Sanliurfa, a Kurdish-majority part of Turkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He moved to Ankara to study political science at the university there, where he became politically active; driven, biographers say, by the sense of marginalisation that many Kurds in Turkiye felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the mid-1970s, he was advocating for Kurdish nationalism and went on to found the PKK in 1978.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six years later, the group launched a separatist rebellion against Turkiye under his command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/40fd5c38-1525-4dfe-81b3-b8208ab65501\/c6ff3b5f-7112-4300-bc61-cb757f11f289\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:455px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.704.0_en.html#fid=goog_339945247Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3:08<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"playlist-container\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now Playing03:08<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/40fd5c38-1525-4dfe-81b3-b8208ab65501\/10392ec6-9bab-4df5-a2a5-2b1458855ad2\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/40fd5c38-1525-4dfe-81b3-b8208ab65501\/10392ec6-9bab-4df5-a2a5-2b1458855ad2\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/40fd5c38-1525-4dfe-81b3-b8208ab65501\/10392ec6-9bab-4df5-a2a5-2b1458855ad2\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"PKK disbands, potentially ending decades of conflict in Turkiye\">PKK disbands, potentially ending decades of conflict in Turkiye<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next15:23<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8e917cb4-4e35-4e16-bdbe-9b3e37e1fb54\/bbf6fe35-e8d7-47e1-ab2f-4bf85c8926a1\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8e917cb4-4e35-4e16-bdbe-9b3e37e1fb54\/bbf6fe35-e8d7-47e1-ab2f-4bf85c8926a1\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8e917cb4-4e35-4e16-bdbe-9b3e37e1fb54\/bbf6fe35-e8d7-47e1-ab2f-4bf85c8926a1\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Analysts warn Israel\u2019s Rafah plan signals systematic Palestinian displacement\">Analysts warn Israel\u2019s Rafah plan signals systematic Palestinian displacement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>04:02<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/af231b20-39a1-47f7-8fc1-aa4b5d87fa64\/3f20a618-62c3-47cf-b7d9-d4d5008173e0\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/af231b20-39a1-47f7-8fc1-aa4b5d87fa64\/3f20a618-62c3-47cf-b7d9-d4d5008173e0\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/af231b20-39a1-47f7-8fc1-aa4b5d87fa64\/3f20a618-62c3-47cf-b7d9-d4d5008173e0\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"At least five Israeli soldiers killed, several others injured in northern Gaza attack\">At least five Israeli soldiers killed, several others injured in northern Gaza attack<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>02:52<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d4085537-bae7-4540-a95f-69dbb601ae26\/aa16690b-a79d-482f-8d19-db88d70769ea\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d4085537-bae7-4540-a95f-69dbb601ae26\/aa16690b-a79d-482f-8d19-db88d70769ea\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d4085537-bae7-4540-a95f-69dbb601ae26\/aa16690b-a79d-482f-8d19-db88d70769ea\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Frequent wildfires reshape Turkiye\u2019s Aegean coast, threatening rural livelihoods and culture\">Frequent wildfires reshape Turkiye\u2019s Aegean coast, threatening rural livelihoods and culture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>02:00<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/11b2e34a-781c-4f25-b6cc-58bdd1b1929b\/ab798ada-04a5-462b-9488-c1683022b4b6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/11b2e34a-781c-4f25-b6cc-58bdd1b1929b\/ab798ada-04a5-462b-9488-c1683022b4b6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/11b2e34a-781c-4f25-b6cc-58bdd1b1929b\/ab798ada-04a5-462b-9488-c1683022b4b6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Texas flooding disaster: Rising death toll fuels anger over 'inadequate warning'\">Texas flooding disaster: Rising death toll fuels anger over &#8216;inadequate warning&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sign up for Al Jazeera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breaking News Alert<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Get real-time breaking news alerts and stay up-to-date with the most important headlines from around the globe.Subscribe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/static\/media\/right-mark-icon.3a446adc.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By signing up, you agree to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/privacy.aljazeera.net\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>protected by&nbsp;<strong>reCAPTCHA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ocalan had absolute rule over the PKK and worked to stamp out rival Kurdish groups, monopolising the struggle for Kurdish liberation, according to Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence, by Aliza Marcus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, Kurds were denied the right to speak their language, give their children Kurdish names or show any expression of nationalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advertisement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Ocalan\u2019s authoritarian rule, his charisma and positioning as a champion of Kurdish rights led most Kurds across Turkiye to love and respect him, calling him \u201cAppo\u201d, which means Uncle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-was-the-armed-rebellion-like\">What was the armed rebellion like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Violent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 40,000 people died between 1984 and 2024, with thousands of Kurds fleeing the violence in southeastern Turkiye into cities further north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Ocalan led operations from neighbouring Syria, which was a source of tensions between the then-Assad regime and Turkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The PKK resorted to brutal tactics beginning in the late 1980s and early 90s. According to a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations from 2007, the group, under Ocalan, kidnapped foreign tourists, adopted suicide bombing operations and attacked Turkish diplomatic offices in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps even worse, the PKK would repress Kurdish civilians who did not assist the group in its guerrilla warfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\" id=\"attachment_3289542\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2024-10-22T122055Z_1847450433_RC2NN6AXJRRD_RTRMADP_3_TURKEY-SECURITY-KURDS-1730458041.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"FILE PHOTO: Supporters of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) display flags with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a rally to celebrate Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 17, 2024. REUTERS\/Umit Bektas\/File Photo\" class=\"wp-image-3289542\" style=\"width:444px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of pro-Kurdish DEM Party wave flags with portraits of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan at a rally for Newroz in Istanbul, Turkiye, March 17, 2024 [Umit Bektas\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"did-ocalan-change-his-views\">Did Ocalan change his views?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, more than a decade after he was caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1998, Ocalan was forced to flee Syria due to the threat of a Turkish incursion to capture him. A year later, Turkish agents arrested him on a plane in Nairobi, Kenya, thanks to intel received from the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was brought back to Turkiye and handed the death penalty, yet his sentence was changed to life in prison after Turkiye abolished capital punishment in 2004 in a bid to become a member of the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2013, Ocalan changed his stance on separatism and began lobbying for comprehensive Kurdish rights and greater regional autonomy in Turkiye, saying he&nbsp;no longer believed in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2013\/3\/21\/profile-abdullah-ocalan-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the effectiveness of armed rebellion<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This radical shift led to the start of a shaky peace process between the PKK and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), headed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The peace process led to some freedoms for Kurds, yet fighting erupted between the government and the PKK in 2015 due in part to fears that the party was trying to create a Kurdish statelet in neighbouring Syria during its civil war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, many Kurds from southern Turkiye had left for Syria to help the Kurds there fight against ISIL (ISIS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, the AK Party had also formed a new alliance with the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which was staunchly opposed to any peace process involving the PKK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advertisement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/43a17059-7f05-4234-aeda-147225cd168f\/41fc9f04-de48-4ed5-99d3-ef11cd9f2342\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:470px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.704.0_en.html#fid=goog_339945248Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4:40<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-different-about-this-peace-process\">What\u2019s different about this peace process?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In announcing its disarmament, the PKK said it has \u201ccompleted its historical mission\u201d by \u201cbreaking the policy of denial and annihilation of our people and bringing the Kurdish issue to a point where solving it can occur through democratic politics\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, analysts argue that there are other reasons behind the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The PKK and its Kurdish allies in the region are more vulnerable than before due to recent developments, according to Sinan Ulgen, an expert on Turkiye and senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe reason the PKK gave up its armed struggle has to do with the change in the international context,\u201d Ulgen explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US President Donald Trump does not see Syria as a \u201cstrategic focal point\u201d for foreign policy and is, therefore, unlikely to keep supporting Kurdish armed groups in the country as it had during the fight against ISIL, he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the new government in Syria is on good terms with Turkiye, unlike under the now-overthrown Assad regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This new relationship could significantly hurt the ability of the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), to operate along the Syria-Turkiye border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\" id=\"attachment_3706252\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/getty_6822d88c8c-1747114124.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 07: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), greet supporters at a rally while campaigning for the presidential election on May 07, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. On May 14th, Turkey\u2019s President Erdogan will face his biggest electoral test as voters head to the polls in the country\u2019s general election. Erdogan has been in power for more than two decades, first as prime minister and then as president, but his popularity has taken a hit recently due to Turkey\u2019s ongoing economic crisis and his government\u2019s handling of series of devastating earthquakes that struck the country\u2019s southeast in early February, killing more than 50,000 people. Meanwhile, the political opposition has united around one candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who some polls indicate has an edge. (Photo by Burak Kara\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-3706252\" style=\"width:445px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet supporters at a rally while campaigning for the presidential election on May 7, 2023, in Istanbul [Burak Kara\/Getty Images]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"will-turkiye-follow-through\">Will Turkiye follow through?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The political climate seems ripe for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Main political parties, such as the AK Party and its rival Republican People\u2019s Party (CHP), have vocally or tacitly supported a new peace process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it was the MHP, long opposed to any overtures to the Kurds, that created the window for a new peace process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In April 2024, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli invited Ocalan to renounce \u201cterrorism\u201d in front of Turkiye\u2019s parliament in exchange for possible parole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe fact it was Bahceli \u2026 was kind of unbelievable,\u201d said Sinem Adar, an expert on Turkiye with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bahceli\u2019s change of heart is probably to help his coalition partner, Erdogan, run in and win the next national election, experts told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\" id=\"attachment_3706723\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/getty_6823083092-1747126320.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY - MARCH 21: Masked Kurdish youths holds a poster of jailed PKK militant group leader Abdullah Ocalan during Newroz celebrations on March 21, 2025 in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Newroz, or Nowruz, a celebration of the spring equinox and Persian new year, is observed by a diverse array of communities across western and central Asia, including Kurdish areas of Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Newroz is the most important festival in Kurdish culture and has taken the form of political expression among Kurds in Turkey. (Photo by Sedat Suna\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-3706723\" style=\"width:478px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Masked Kurdish youths hold a poster of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan during Newroz celebrations on March 21, 2025 in Diyarbakir, Turkiye [Sedat Suna\/Getty Images]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the constitution, Erdogan cannot run for another term unless an early election is called, which needs 360 out of 600 votes in parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To add the votes of Kurdish delegates from the Peoples\u2019 Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) to the MHP-AK Party alliance\u2019s votes, \u201c[Erdogan] needs to broaden his political support base in parliament over and above the current ruling alliance\u201d, Carnegie\u2019s Ulgen told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-happens-to-ocalan-now\">What happens to Ocalan now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is unclear if he will be released, but his prison conditions could significantly improve, said Ulgen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said the government would prefer to gradually increase Ocalan\u2019s freedoms, so it can gauge the reactions of his support base and the broader public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advertisement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people in Turkiye still view Ocalan as a \u201cterrorist\u201d and blame him for a conflict that has taken the lives of so many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think the government wants to test the waters before allowing Ocalan to go free,\u201d Ulgen told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/2f27de25-d243-47cd-9383-34dbc4d13f93\/a6cda754-3fc6-4e2d-b167-be8810c9c89a\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:408px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.704.0_en.html#fid=goog_339945249Play Video<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>News|Kurds Kurdish leader Ocalan told the PKK to disband, it did: Here\u2019s what to know PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is leading peace efforts to end a Kurdish armed rebellion against Turkiye after four decades. The Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party (PKK) says it is disbanding after more than 40 years of armed struggle against the Turkish state. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/888.webp?fit=770%2C513&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14041"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14043,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14041\/revisions\/14043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freedomocalansyria.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}