The Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) Central Command has issued a statement urging all units that are part of the HPG to adhere to the ceasefire announced by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on 1 March 2025. The ceasefire decision arose from a historic message from imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, in which he called for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question based on true democracy, appealing to the PKK to dissolve, and on all affiliated groups to lay down their arms.
The statement specifically addresses all forces affiliated with the HPG, widely seen as the armed wing of the PKK, and in particular forces active in Turkey, including special and autonomous structures such as the Freedom Militias of Kurdistan (MAK). It does, however, stress the need for these forces to remain aware of a possible continuation of attacks by the Turkish state and to ensure their readiness to defend themselves in case of such attack.
The Central Command stressed the need to “to act sensitively and responsibly in order to perfect a stance and struggle in line with [the recent call by] Abdullah Öcalan” and that “caution must be taken against possible provocative situations that may develop, and extreme attention must be paid to such situations”.
Turkish state officials have yet to make any comment in response to the ceasefire announced by the PKK yesterday.
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