# Jailed PKK founder Ocalan calls for disarmament as Turkey passes amnesty bill 2026-08-10T22:41:45+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Turkey's parliament has passed a bill offering limited amnesty for fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), reports The Hindustan Times. The conflict, which began in 1984, has claimed some 50,000 lives. The legislation is the first legislative step towards ending the decades-long insurgency but does not address the fate of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan, serving life in solitary confinement since 1999, has called on his followers to disarm, saying he believes in politics and social peace. His July 2025 call led to symbolic destruction of weapons by PKK leaders in northern Iraq. PKK leaders insist Ocalan's release is crucial for the peace process. The current push began in October 2024 when a nationalist ally of President Erdogan offered an olive branch. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Abdullah Ocalan, amnesty bill, Kurdish conflict, peace process, PKK, Turkey Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jailed-pkk-founder-ocalan-calls-for-disarmament-as-turkey-passes-amnesty-bill/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jailed-pkk-founder-ocalan-calls-for-disarmament-as-turkey-passes-amnesty-bill/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.