PKK declares cease-fire with Turkiye

ISTANBUL — The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has declared a cease-fire with Turkiye, following the call of its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan for disarmament and dissolution, local media reported on Saturday.

The PKK Executive Committee announced in a statement that none of its forces would carry out armed actions unless attacked, according to the NTV broadcaster.

"We, as the PKK, fully agree with the content of the mentioned call (of Ocalan) and state that we will comply with and implement its requirements from our side," the statement said.

The group also expressed readiness to convene its congress but emphasized that its success requires Ocalan to "personally lead it", calling for his release from prison.

The PKK urged relevant state authorities to ensure Ocalan's "physical freedom, allowing him to live and work under normal conditions", the group said.

Later on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to resume military operations against the PKK if its promises are not fulfilled.

"We will continue our ongoing operations, and if necessary, we will leave no stone unturned and no head on top of a shoulder until we eliminate the last terrorist," he said.

Ocalan on Thursday called on all groups affiliated with the PKK to lay down their arms and urged the PKK to dissolve itself.

The move came as part of the government's initiative to end the PKK's 40-year-long insurgency against the Turkish state, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Xinhua - Agencies