PKK Disbands, Marking the End of Turkey’s Kurdish Insurgency

• The PKK has been in conflict with the Turkish government for over 40 years.
• Ocalan called for the group’s disbandment in February.
• Over 40,000 lives have been lost in this conflict.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state for more than 40 years, has announced its dissolution, signaling an end to its armed activities, according to a news agency affiliated with the organization.

This decision by the PKK is expected to have significant political and security implications for the region, particularly in neighboring Syria, where Kurdish forces collaborate with U.S. military personnel.

The Firat news agency reported on the closure declaration from the PKK’s recent congress held in northern Iraq, which took place in response to a disbandment appeal made by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in February.

The statement issued by the PKK post-congress declared, “The 12th PKK Congress has resolved to disband the organizational structure of the PKK and put an end to its armed struggle.”

Officials from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office and the foreign ministry did not provide immediate comments on this announcement.

Since the PKK initiated its insurgency in 1984, more than 40,000 individuals have lost their lives in the conflict, which Turkey and its allies classify as terrorism.