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The Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), the militant group which has been in conflict with the Turkish state for more than 40 years, made a historic announcement that it would disband, marking a significant moment with major political and security implications for the region.
According to the pro-Kurdish news agency ANF, the PKK has decided to “end the armed struggle” as stated in the closing statement of a PKK congress held in Iraq last week. This decision comes after the group declared a ceasefire on March 1.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and its western allies, has been associated with US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria. This move could potentially ease tensions between Turkey and the US regarding power-sharing arrangements in Syria.
The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state has resulted in over 40,000 casualties since the insurgency began in 1984. The potential for a peace process could garner domestic political support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he aims to extend his rule beyond the scheduled presidential elections in 2028.
The congress declared that the PKK’s struggle had successfully brought the Kurdish issue to a point of resolution through democratic politics, fulfilling its historical mission. Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for the governing AK party, described the disbandment as a crucial step towards achieving a “terror-free Turkey” in a post on social media.
The momentum for this peace process was initiated in February when PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged the group to formally decide on disbanding.
The process, supported domestically by far-right nationalist politician Devlet Bahçeli, a close ally of Erdoğan, has been shrouded in secrecy. Questions remain on how the process will proceed, including the disposal of weapons, monitoring mechanisms, the fate of PKK militants, and the potential sanctuary for the group’s leaders in other countries.
The specific concessions or political rights that the PKK might gain in exchange for disbanding have not been disclosed. There is also a broader discussion on the recognition of Kurdish identity and culture, Kurdish language education, and the devolution of powers to local authorities in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority south-east.
Despite previous failed peace efforts, this decision comes at a time of significant changes in both Turkey and the wider region. The Turkish military’s effective counterinsurgency efforts, coupled with the overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, have reshaped the dynamics in the region, particularly for the US-backed Kurdish-linked forces in north-eastern Syria.
