Kurdish Leader: Öcalan Must Be Part of Solution, Says PKK Official

A senior figure in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) said on Monday that progress in resolving the Kurdish issue requires the active involvement of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Mustafa Karasu, a member of the KCK’s Executive Council, stated that no law alone can solve the Kurdish problem. He stressed that Öcalan’s participation in the process is essential for it to move forward. The KCK is an umbrella organization that includes the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Öcalan has been held on an island prison near Istanbul since 1999. Karasu’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions about a potential new initiative to address the long-standing conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants.