With Peace Process Progress, Refugees Can Return Home, Says PKK Leader

ANF

Maxmur refugees standing to hear Öcalan's message.

Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has sent a message to the refugees at the Makhmour Refugee Camp in Makhmour district, Erbil, praising their decades-long resilience and addressing their future amid ongoing peace efforts between the PKK and the Turkish state.

The camp’s residents — many of whom fled Türkiye more than 30 years ago during the height of the PKK–Turkish conflict — have lived in exile since 1994. With Ankara and the PKK now engaged in talks aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question, speculation has grown over the fate of these long-term refugees.

In his letter, Öcalan wrote: “Despite all the difficulties, through their practical stance they have shown that resistance is life, brought forth great heroes, and successfully shouldered the heavy burden of the struggle. Whatever the circumstances, they have proven that free life stands above all else. They possess the determination and dedication worthy of the Kurdish people and their struggle.”

He added that the situation of the people in Makhmour formed part of the ongoing discussions. “Undoubtedly, with the progress of this process, our people will once again return to their own lands. However, it must be understood that personal or family-based approaches should not take precedence. We will address social, political, and legal matters with a collective approach, and on this basis, move towards a solution.”

On the broader issue of refugee returns, Öcalan said: “All of your returns will be collective, and we will determine the geography. Do you want to return? We will assume that the demand for return will be about half-and-half. We must think of return collectively. Within this framework, convey my greetings to the people of Makhmour.”

Earlier on Thursday, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş addressed the second meeting of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, established to seek a democratic settlement to the Kurdish question.

Calling the body’s work a “historic step” and a “great opportunity that must be seized”, Kurtulmuş urged members to replace “weapons, fighting, and conflict” with dialogue. “The commission has a historic duty to establish an environment where peace and brotherhood are discussed,” he said, adding that it represented 98 percent of Türkiye’s population.

He confirmed that proceedings would be conducted under strict confidentiality. “The proceedings here will be recorded in full. However, they will never be published. They will not be made available even to the commission members for a period of 10 years. Nothing discussed at this meeting will be mentioned outside these walls in any way.”

The meeting then continued behind closed doors.

The developments come after the PKK announced in May 2025 that it would formally disband and abandon its armed struggle, following a call from Öcalan in February for the group to convene a congress and begin a full disarmament process.

On 11 July, the PKK took its first formal step towards disarmament when a group of fighters laid down their weapons and destroyed them during a ceremony in Sulaymaniyah — a move seen as a significant turning point after more than four decades of armed conflict.



PUKMEDIA