The People's Defense Center (HPG), the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) — which is banned in Turkey and several other countries — has reported that Turkish military forces have intensified operations against its positions along the borders of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. According to a recent statement, guerrilla positions were bombarded 27 times using prohibited explosives, 7 times with chemical gases, and repeatedly with heavy weaponry.
The HPG's statement detailed that from May 20 to 28, Turkish forces targeted multiple sites, resulting in the deaths of two fighters during these operations.
In response to these attacks, PKK fighters have asserted their "legitimate self-defense rights." Their counter-operations included attacking military positions, destroying excavators that were attempting to demolish tunnels, and neutralizing explosive-laden drones.
Meanwhile, significant political developments are unfolding following Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Peace and Democratic Society Call" and the decision to dissolve the PKK during its 12th Extraordinary Congress held from May 5 to 7.
Duran Kalkan, one of the founding members of the PKK, provided context for these developments in a recent interview. Kalkan explained that this process was initiated by MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) leader Devlet Bahçeli's parliamentary statements in October 2024, which led to the first meeting between Öcalan and the authorities after a four-year communication ban.
Kalkan emphasized that Bahçeli's initiative arose amid growing concerns about Turkey's security situation. The MHP leader warned of potential existential threats to the Turkish state and acknowledged Öcalan's consistent focus on the interests of the people and the country during his 26 years of imprisonment. He stated, "This person cannot harm this country or society."
The PKK Congress, which was dedicated to founding members Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun — who were recently martyred — made the historic decision to cease organizational activities. Kalkan rejected the notion that this marks the "end of the PKK," describing it instead as the PKK "being consigned to history as the truth of the Leadership and Martyrs."
Kalkan stressed that the peace process requires reciprocal actions, not merely goodwill statements. He noted that currently, "there isn't even a small legal regulation from the government that would ensure the security of this process," adding that "mutual steps are necessary" for progress.
These developments occurred during a critical period in regional geopolitics, as described by Kurdish sources. As military operations continue in Kurdish regions, the political process initiated by Bahçeli's call and Öcalan's response represents a potential pathway toward resolving the Kurdish question within Turkey's constitutional framework, transitioning from conflict to democratic resolution.
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