Regional and world powers on Friday welcomed an appeal by Turkey’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan to disarm and disband his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a move that could have radical political and security impacts in the Middle East.
Disarmament could end the PKK’s four-decade insurgency in south-eastern Turkey, which has killed tens of thousands of people. The group, which is banned as a terrorist organisation in the EU, Britain and the US, had sought an independent Kurdish state but in recent years has called for more autonomy within Turkey. It was founded in 1978 by Ocalan.
The PKK leader's call, delivered in a message on Thursday, was greeted with cautious optimism by politicians in Turkey.
“We'll look at the outcome,” said Efkan Ala, a leading member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party. “If the terrorist organisation takes this call, lays down its arms, gathers together and dissolves itself, Turkey will be freed from its shackles.”
Neighbouring Iraq, which has PKK fighters in its north, said Ocalan’s statement was a “positive and important” step to achieving regional stability.
Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, also praised the militant leader's appeal. “In the Kurdistan region, we fully support the peace process and are prepared to play a facilitating role and provide any assistance necessary to advance the process,” Mr Barzani said.
In Syria, the statement by Ocalan could have far-reaching implications. A PKK-affiliated Kurdish group called the People’s Protection Units (YPG) forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed force that controls the north-east of the country and fought against ISIS.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said Ocalan's appeal would have positive consequences but insisted it applied only to the PKK and was “not related to us in Syria”. “If there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria,” he said.
If the PKK heeds Ocalan's call, an agreement between the Kurds in north-east Syria and the new Turkish-backed central government in Damascus could be easier.
Further afield, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ocalan's move provided an opportunity for peace.
“Ocalan's call offers a chance at last to overcome this violent struggle and reach a lasting peaceful development in the Kurdish question,” a spokesperson for the chancellor said.
But a German foreign ministry spokesperson added that more needed to be done. “An end to violence is an important first step, but more steps are needed to reach a sustainable solution for people in Turkey. That includes respecting and upholding Kurds' cultural and democratic rights.”
Britain also welcomed what it called the first progress towards “peace and security for the people of Turkey, a close Nato ally and long-standing partner in counter-terrorism”.
“We encourage all parties to engage in a peaceful and constructive process that ensures security, stability, and respect for the rule of law,” the Foreign Office said.
Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, said Ocalan's appeal was a significant moment for reconciliation. “The best starting point for a potential political and inclusive process that will peacefully settle the Kurdish issue in Turkey, based in dialogue and reconciliation,” he wrote in a post on X.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
India Test squad
Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
RESULTS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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