PKK announces disbandment after decades of armed conflict

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group engaged in an armed struggle against Turkey for over four decades, has announced its decision to disarm and dissolve. The move follows a call made three months ago by the group’s jailed founder, Abdullah Öcalan.

The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the UK, stated that its actions had advanced the Kurdish cause and that it had “completed its historical mission.”

The decision is expected to impact PKK-affiliated forces near Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Iran, as well as groups in north-east Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the announcement, calling it a potential start to a “new era” of political and democratic development. The PKK has called for Öcalan’s release to oversee the dissolution process.

Founded in 1978, the PKK launched an armed campaign in 1984, seeking greater rights and autonomy for Kurds in Turkey’s southeast. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with past ties to the PKK, emphasized that the PKK’s disbandment does not affect their operations. The SDF recently signed an agreement with Damascus to integrate into Syria’s emerging post-conflict state structure.