PKK terrorist group announces end to decadeslong insurgency

Ιn a historic development that could reshape Türkiye's political landscape, the PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, announced on Monday that it would lay down its arms and dissolve its military structure.

The move would potentially end a four-decade terrorism campaign against Türkiye, claiming the lives of more than 40,000 people, including women and children.

The announcement, made through a statement issued by the terrorist group's leadership council, follows weeks of speculation after imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Ocalan called for disarmament through representatives of the Kurdish-oriented Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) who visited him at Imrali prison.

Recently the DEM Party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan stated, "It is only a matter of time before the PKK announces that it has convened its congress. We look forward to this historic step."

"All armed groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must disband," Ocalan had stated in his declaration, which marked the first significant breakthrough in years toward ending one of the region's most intractable conflicts.

Earlier reports this week from a Turkish media outlet suggested that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told lawmakers in a closed meeting: "We have overcome all obstacles. PKK will lay down arms and dissolve the organization any day now. After that, a new process and a new era will begin for all of us. Politics will have a significant role to play."

President Erdogan had previously made it clear that the PKK and its offshoots either had to lay down arms or "will be buried."

A terror-free vision

The current peace initiative emerged from what Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and key ally in Türkiye's governing coalition, called the terror-free Türkiye project launched in October 2024.

This initiative coincided with significant regional developments, including the collapse of the Baath regime in Syria, which has altered power dynamics throughout the area.

The implementation of the disarmament process and the reintegration of former militants will test the terrorist group's commitment to healing decades-old wounds. For families of those forcibly recruited by the PKK, particularly those whose children were taken as minors, the announcement brings cautious hope for reconciliation.

Mothers who have protested for years in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, demanding the return of their children, may now see a path toward reunion.

The path forward

Analysts note that previous peace initiatives have faltered, including a similar attempt in 2004 when a PKK congress initially considered disbanding but ultimately decided to continue armed operations.

"Today's geopolitical landscape is fundamentally different," said Orhan Miroglu, a former journalist and member of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Central Committee.

"The world has changed, and external actors who once supported the PKK's armed struggle now have different priorities."

Turkiyetoday