In a major development that could mark the end of one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) announced Monday that it has decided to dissolve itself and abandon its armed struggle. The announcement, reported by the pro-Kurdish Firat News Agency, signals the potential conclusion of a decades-long conflict with the Turkish state that has cost tens of thousands of lives.
According to the outlet, the PKK issued a statement declaring: “The 12th Congress of the PKK decided to dissolve the organizational structure of the PKK and to end the armed struggle method.”
The group added that the dissolution process would be overseen by its founder and jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, saying they have “ended the work carried out under the name of the PKK.”
Founded in 1978 by Ocalan, the PKK began as a Marxist-Leninist insurgent group seeking to carve out an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey. Over the years, the group’s aims shifted toward pursuing greater autonomy and rights for Kurds within the Turkish state. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, the European Union, and others.
The announcement follows a March declaration of an immediate ceasefire, after Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the organization. Monday’s statement suggests that the PKK leadership has formally accepted his call and is preparing for a structured wind-down of the group’s operations.
It remains unclear how Turkish authorities will respond to the announcement, or what it means for the future of Kurdish political activism within Turkey. However, the decision, if carried through, could reshape a conflict that has defined Turkish-Kurdish relations for nearly five decades.
