In a historic development, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the militant group that has waged a violent insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, has announced its formal dissolution and the end of its armed struggle, according to a statement published by the Firat News Agency, which is closely aligned with the group.
According to Reuters, the decision, reportedly made at the PKK’s 12th Congress held in northern Iraq, marks the conclusion of a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives and spanned more than four decades. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
“The PKK has completed its historic mission,” the group said in the congress’s final declaration, adding that it would dissolve its organizational structure and end the strategy of armed struggle, with the process to be guided by its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, also known by his nickname “Apo.”
Ocalan, who has been jailed in Turkey since 1999, had issued a call in February urging the group to end its insurgency. The PKK leadership’s response now reflects a major turning point in the Kurdish nationalist movement.
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar/File Photo/File Photo
Toward Democratic Politics
The PKK stated that its armed campaign had succeeded in “breaking the policy of denial and annihilation” of Kurdish identity in Turkey and had brought the Kurdish issue to a stage where it could be pursued through democratic political means.
While the PKK has maintained its base of operations in northern Iraq, the group’s influence and associated Kurdish movements extend into Syria, where Kurdish militias—some with links to the PKK—have received U.S. backing in the fight against the Islamic State.
Regional and Political Impacts
The disbanding of the PKK could have significant political and security consequences across the region. In Turkey, the decision opens the door for potential investment and development in the long-neglected southeastern provinces, home to a large Kurdish population.
Turkish government spokesperson Omer Celik, from President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, called the PKK’s move an “important step toward a terror-free Turkey.” Ankara, which had been expecting the announcement, has not yet issued an official foreign ministry statement.
The Turkish lira remained stable at 38.7375 against the U.S. dollar following the news, while the Istanbul stock index jumped 2.4%, signaling cautious optimism among investors.
Zeliha Onder, mother of Sirri Sureyya Onder, a prominent pro-Kurdish party lawmaker and key figure in Turkey’s tentative process to end the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) insurgency, who died on Saturday at age 62, mourns during his funeral in Istanbul, Turkey, May 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
A History of Failed Peace
Efforts to negotiate peace with the PKK have failed repeatedly in the past. The most promising attempt came in the form of a ceasefire between 2013 and 2015, which ultimately collapsed and led to a resurgence of violence.
Analysts say the PKK’s dissolution could help reset relations between Ankara and Kurdish communities, though deep political and social scars from the decades-long conflict remain.
The announcement is likely to shift dynamics not just in Turkey, but also in Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish factions maintain semi-autonomous regions and have been key actors in recent geopolitical developments.
