ISTANBUL: The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held a “successful” meeting this week with a view to disarming and dissolving, the Kurdish agency ANF, which is close to the armed movement, announced on Friday.
The meeting resulted in “decisions of historic importance concerning the PKK’s activities, based on the call” of founder Abdullah Ocalan, who called on the movement in February to dissolve.
The congress, which was held between Monday and Wednesday, took place in the “Media Defense Zones” — a term used by the movement to designate the Kandil mountains of northern Iraq where the PKK military command is located, the agency reported.
The PKK will share “full and detailed information with regard to the outcome of this congress very soon,” it said.
In February, Ocalan urged his fighters to disarm and disband, ending a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
In his historic call — which took the form of a letter — Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress to formalize the decision.
Two days later, the PKK announced a ceasefire, saying it was ready to convene a congress but said “for this to happen, a suitable secure environment must be created,” insisting it would only succeed if Ocalan were to “personally direct and lead it.”
The PKK leadership is holed up in Kurdish-majority mountainous northern Iraq where Turkish forces have staged multiple air strikes in recent years, targeting the group which is also blacklisted by Washington and Brussels.
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Kurdish PKK says held ‘successful’ meeting on disbanding
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Kurdish PKK says held ‘successful’ meeting on disbanding
- The PKK will share “full and detailed information with regard to the outcome of this congress very soon,” it said
- In February, Ocalan urged his fighters to disarm and disband
Istanbul gaining fast on Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport
- Istanbul Airport, where traffic has surged since its inauguration in 2018, saw passenger growth of 5.5 percent to 84.44 million
- Turkiye has benefitted as a gateway between Europe and Asian destinations as well as being a hub for flights between Russia and the rest of the world
PARIS: London Heathrow remained the busiest aviation hub in Europe last year but Istanbul Airport was nearly neck-and-neck and is likely to overtake it soon, an industry group said Thursday.
With 84.48 million passengers, Heathrow had a 0.7 percent increase in traffic last year, ACI Europe reported, citing the use of larger planes by airlines at “the capacity-constrained British hub.”
British authorities say a third runway will be added at Heathrow but it is not expected to be ready before 2035.
Istanbul Airport, where traffic has surged since its inauguration in 2018, saw passenger growth of 5.5 percent to 84.44 million — just 40,000 behind Heathrow.
Turkiye has benefitted as a gateway between Europe and Asian destinations as well as being a hub for flights between Russia, subject to Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine, and the rest of the world.
Rounding out the top five European airports were Paris-Charles de Gaulle (72 million), Amsterdam-Schiphol (68.8 million) and Madrid (68.1 million).
Overall, passenger traffic across Europe climbed 4.4 percent last year to 2.6 billion people, “entirely driven by international traffic,” ACI Europe said.
“Travel remains among consumers’ top discretionary spending priorities — even as geopolitics and geoeconomics are likely to further test the sector’s resilience,” ACI Europe’s director general Olivier Jankovec said in a statement.
The sector continues to benefit as well from the post-COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, and traffic growth is expected to “normalize” at around 3.3 percent this year, Jankovec said.
With 84.48 million passengers, Heathrow had a 0.7 percent increase in traffic last year, ACI Europe reported, citing the use of larger planes by airlines at “the capacity-constrained British hub.”
British authorities say a third runway will be added at Heathrow but it is not expected to be ready before 2035.
Istanbul Airport, where traffic has surged since its inauguration in 2018, saw passenger growth of 5.5 percent to 84.44 million — just 40,000 behind Heathrow.
Turkiye has benefitted as a gateway between Europe and Asian destinations as well as being a hub for flights between Russia, subject to Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine, and the rest of the world.
Rounding out the top five European airports were Paris-Charles de Gaulle (72 million), Amsterdam-Schiphol (68.8 million) and Madrid (68.1 million).
Overall, passenger traffic across Europe climbed 4.4 percent last year to 2.6 billion people, “entirely driven by international traffic,” ACI Europe said.
“Travel remains among consumers’ top discretionary spending priorities — even as geopolitics and geoeconomics are likely to further test the sector’s resilience,” ACI Europe’s director general Olivier Jankovec said in a statement.
The sector continues to benefit as well from the post-COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, and traffic growth is expected to “normalize” at around 3.3 percent this year, Jankovec said.
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