Turkish FM Reveals Assassination Attempt, Demands PKK's Full Disarmament
Hakan Fidan emphasized that disarmament alone would not be sufficient, stating that all “illegal structures” affiliated with the PKK must cease operations inside Turkey.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara expects the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to make a clear decision to disarm “in the near future,” following what the group described as a “historic” 12th Congress held earlier this month in the Medya Defense Zones.
Speaking during a televised program on a Turkish channel, Fidan invoked the words of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who earlier this year had called for the organization to disarm.
“There is no longer a place for armed conflict in Turkey,” Fidan said, echoing Ocalan’s February message delivered through Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk. “It is time to embrace democracy and engage through transparent political channels.”
Fidan emphasized that disarmament alone would not be sufficient, stating that all “illegal structures” affiliated with the PKK must cease operations inside Turkey. “Within the PKK there are many factions, and for them, putting down arms and dissolving their military presence is not an easy decision,” he added.
And in a startling revelation, Fidan also disclosed that he survived an assassination attempt by poisoning five years ago.
"Five years ago, an attempt was made to assassinate me. They gave me arsenic and mercury, but I recovered after undergoing tests and treatment. I was saved from death," Fidan stated.
The incident, which was never publicly reported before, occurred while Fidan was serving as head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), a position he held for over a decade before becoming foreign minister in 2023.
Syria and Iraq in the Spotlight
Foreign Minister Fidan also warned of the PKK’s expanding military footprint beyond Turkey. “The PKK started its war in Turkey, but today it has become entrenched in Syria and Sinjar (Shingal), turning into a greater problem for Syria and Iraq than for Turkey,” he asserted.
Fidan voiced concern that if the PKK were to initiate conflict in Iran, the group would then pose “a greater problem for Tehran than it ever was for Ankara.”
The Turkish official added that Syria should be left to determine its own future without foreign militias dictating the course of its post-conflict reconstruction.
Fidan reiterated Turkey’s position that no tolerance will be given to armed non-state actors operating within or beyond its borders. “If the PKK is serious about moving forward, it must fully abandon weapons and illegality, both in Turkey and in the broader region,” he said.
PKK Congress and the Call for Change
Fidan’s remarks follow the conclusion of the PKK’s 12th Congress, held between May 5 and 7. Delegates from across the group participated in two parallel sessions in the Medya Defense Zones, beginning with formal recognition of Ocalan’s influence. The congress reportedly focused on long-term strategy and organizational direction.
While PKK officials described the congress decisions as “historic,” the full details of the outcomes have not yet been disclosed. A public announcement is expected once deliberations from both congress sessions are finalized.
Ocalan’s earlier call for the PKK to disarm has been interpreted as a potential overture toward renewed peace dialogue, though Ankara has remained cautious.
As anticipation grows over the full publication of the PKK congress resolutions, Ankara’s message remains clear: the era of arms must end, and political legitimacy must be pursued through lawful, democratic means.
