PKK, also known as the Kurdistan Workers Party announced plans to disband and disarm, potentially bringing 40 years of conflict with Turkiye to an end.
The move followed a call in February by the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan for the group to lay down its arms. In a letter written from prison, Ocalan said,
“There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realisation of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the move on Monday for “peace and fraternity” in Turkiye.
PKK initially pursued the creation of an independent homeland for the Kurds. However, it has since moved away from its separatist goals, shifting its focus to more autonomy and greater Kurdish rights.
Kurds account for about 20% of Turkiye’s population.
Regional changes have made it more difficult for the PKK and its affiliates to operate in Iraq and Syria. PKK has also been hit hard by the Turkish military in recent years.
President Erdogan will need the support of pro-Kurdish political parties if he would like to run again in Turkiye’s 2028 presidential election.
Kurdish politicians are hoping for a new political dialogue and a pathway towards greater Kurdish rights.