Ocalan to join committee for disarmament of Kurdish rebels

A senior advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan will participate in a disarmament committee as part of a peace process aimed at ending decades of bloody violence with Turkey.

The Turkish parliament passed a law in August providing for a limited amnesty for PKK militants, marking the first legislative step toward ending the conflict.

As part of the process, four subcommittees have been established to oversee the practical aspects of the PKK's decision to dissolve itself in response to Öcalan's call, one of which is dedicated to disarmament.

The law did not specify the fate of Öcalan, 77, who has been held behind bars for 27 years in a prison on Imrali Island off the coast of Istanbul.

Speaking to the Turkish Press Union, senior Erdoğan advisor Mehmet Oğuz said that Öcalan would take part in the disarmament subcommittee, but clarified that this does not mean his release.

In remarks carried by the private NTV channel, Oğuz explained that this arrangement was reached to allow Öcalan to play a more effective role in the process.

Öcalan has played a key role in driving efforts to end the conflict from his cell on Imrali Island, while PKK leadership has repeatedly called for his release as part of the process.