The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), responsible for one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies, has announced it will disband, bringing an end to its 40-year armed campaign against the Turkish state.
The move follows a party congress and months of speculation after imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan called for the group to lay down its arms. The Turkish government welcomed the decision as a critical milestone toward lasting peace.
“This is a victory for all our citizens,” said Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling AK Party, adding that state institutions would “meticulously monitor” the disbanding process.
Since 1984, the PKK has fought for Kurdish rights and initially for independence, resulting in over 40,000 deaths, many of them civilians. The group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US, evolved over time to demand greater autonomy and cultural recognition.
The group’s influence had been declining in recent years, in part due to Turkey’s intensified military operations in northern Iraq and changes in the regional power landscape.
