Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has firmly rejected calls for the disarmament of Kurdish forces in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), insisting that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) must retain their weapons to defend against persistent threats.

The message was relayed by Ocalan’s brother, Mehmet Ocalan, following a rare visit to İmralı Prison on July 7. According to Mehmet, who spoke to a PKK-affiliated media outlet, Ocalan declared that Kurdish forces in Rojava "will never lay down their arms" as they continue to face dangers from both the Islamic State (IS) and Turkey.

"We have fulfilled our duty. In Rojava, we can never lay down our arms. They are faced with IS on one side and Turkey on the other. If necessary, the SDF can declare a democratic Syrian republic in Tabqa," Ocalan was quoted as saying.

The PKK leader also expressed strong distrust toward Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, labeling him as "the leader of ISIS" and cautioning that his long-term intentions remain unclear.

Ocalan’s remarks come amid escalating regional tensions and international pressure for the demilitarization of Kurdish forces in northern Syria. The SDF, a key U.S. ally in the fight against IS, has been a focal point in Syria’s complex geopolitical landscape, facing opposition from Turkey, which views the group as an extension of the PKK—a designated terrorist organization by Ankara, the U.S., and the EU.