PKK disbands: End to 40‑year conflict with Turkey?
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has announced its dissolution and disarmament, signaling an end to the conflict with Turkey that has lasted over four decades. The decision was announced on Monday by the group-affiliated Firat news agency.
What you need to know
- The PKK has announced plans to dissolve and disarm, potentially ending the four-decade-long conflict with Turkey.
- The decision was announced as part of a new peace initiative with Ankara.
- The party congress was held in northern Iraq, a key step towards making this decision.
Historic decision
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has announced plans to dissolve and disarm, marking a historic move to end the long-standing conflict with Turkey. This decision is part of a broad peace initiative aimed at resolving a prolonged conflict that has claimed around 40,000 lives and affected regional stability.
"The congress has assessed that PKK struggle has destroyed the policy of rejection and destruction against our people and has led the Kurdish issue to the point of solution via democratic politics, and that in this respect, the PKK has completed its historical mission," the PKK commented on the May congress.
"On this basis, the 12th Congress of the PKK decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end the method of armed struggle," it explained.
Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated on social media that the implementation of the PKK's resolutions will be of critical importance. He added that state institutions will closely monitor the process of the group's dissolution.
What does the PKK's decision mean for Turkey?
The decision to dissolve the PKK was announced just days after the party congress in northern Iraq. The PKK initiated a ceasefire, responding to the appeal of leader Abdullah Ocalan for the organization to dissolve itself. The dissolution and disarmament of the PKK could bring long-awaited peace to a region that has been mired in conflict for years.
The PKK, recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US, has been rebelling against the Turkish state for four decades. The conflict has also spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria. Captured in Kenya in 1999, Ocalan is currently imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul.
Some Turkish commentators have noted that by initiating the peace process, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may aim to gain the support of Kurdish deputies for constitutional changes that would allow him to extend his power. According to current regulations, Erdogan's current term as head of state is his last. The next presidential elections are scheduled for 2028.
