Iran welcomes PKK ringleader Öcalan's call to disarm
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement on Friday that Tehran views the move as "an important step toward renouncing violence." He added that Iran "welcomes any process that leads to stopping terrorism and strengthening security in neighbouring Türkiye," expressing hope that it "will also have positive effects in the region."
- Anti-terror fight
- AFP
- Published Date: 06:54 | 28 February 2025
Iran on Friday welcomed a call by jailed PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan for the bloody-minded PKK terror group to lay down arms, calling it a step toward "renouncing violence".
The PKK terror group has led a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
In a major shift, Öcalan on Thursday said that "all groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself".
But the PKK, whose military leadership is mostly based in the mountains of northern Iraq, has yet to respond.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement on Friday that Tehran views the move as "an important step toward renouncing violence."
He added that Iran "welcomes any process that leads to stopping terrorism and strengthening security in neighbouring Türkiye," expressing hope that it "will also have positive effects in the region."
Earlier this month, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib discussed "the fight against terror organisations, especially the PKK and Daesh," during a meeting with visiting Turkish spy chief Ibrahim Kalın.
In March 2023, Iran signed a security agreement with Iraq aimed at disarming rebel groups and removing them from border areas.