Kurdish secessionist group PKK announces dissolution, ending armed insurgency in Turkiye

Kurdish secessionist group PKK announces dissolution, ending armed insurgency in Turkiye. Read more on Dynamite News

Ankara:  Türkiye’s outlawed Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has announced its dissolution and the end of its armed insurgency, bringing to close a bloody conflict that has spanned over four decades, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

The announcement was made following a PKK Congress held from May 5 to 7, where the group decided to disband its organisational structure and lay down arms, according to the Turkish daily Hürriyet, reported The New York Times.

The move comes just months after the group’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, called on members to end the armed struggle in a message issued on February 27, saying the fight had outlived its purpose and that the future progress on Kurdish rights should be pursued through political means.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik welcomed the announcement, describing it as “an important step toward a terror-free Türkiye” in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“The full implementation of the decision to dissolve and disarm, closing all PKK branches and illegal structures, would mark a historic turning point,” Çelik added, as quoted by The New York Times.

Founded in 1978, the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, demanding autonomy and greater rights for Türkiye’s Kurdish population, which accounts for more than 20% of the country's population.

The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, including civilians, and has seen multiple failed peace efforts over the years.

The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

Its decision to disband could signal a major shift in Kurdish-Turkish relations, though scepticism remains over how the move will be implemented and whether splinter groups might continue armed activity.

The Turkish government has yet to outline any formal steps in response to the PKK’s announcement.