Iran has long accused various Kurdish militant groups of inciting unrest and carrying out operations within its borders [Getty]
Iran on Friday welcomed a call by jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan for the Kurdish militant group to lay down arms, calling it a step toward “renouncing violence”.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has led a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
In a major shift, Ocalan on Thursday said that “all groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself”.
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 Turkey,” expressing hope that it “will also have positive effects in the region.”
On Saturday, the PKKÂ declared a ceasefire with Turkey.
Earlier this month, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib discussed “the fight against terror organisations, especially the PKK and Daesh,” using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS) group, during a meeting with visiting Turkish spy chief Ibrahim Kalin.
Iran has long accused various Kurdish militant groups of inciting unrest and carrying out operations within its borders.
In March 2023, Iran signed a security agreement with Iraq aimed at disarming rebel groups and removing them from border areas. The PKK’s military leadership is mostly based in the mountains of northern Iraq.
