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yesterday

PKK Disbands After Four Decades of Armed Conflict

Turkey closely monitors the historic dissolution of the Kurdish militant group as questions linger over disarmament and regional impact.

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Hatice Levent holds a picture of her daughter Fadime who is believed to have joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as families of young people who they say were recruited by the PKK gather outside the local office of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, as PKK disbands and ends 40-year Turkey insurgency, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar
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A mural in northern Syria showing Kurdish fighters with a flag bearing Ocalan's face

Overview

  • The PKK announced its dissolution and end to armed struggle following a February appeal by its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.
  • President Erdogan and Turkey's ruling AKP welcomed the move as a step toward a 'terror-free Turkey' but emphasized strict monitoring of the process.
  • The decision could reshape Kurdish dynamics across Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, though details on disarmament remain unclear.
  • The conflict, which began in 1984, has claimed over 40,000 lives, with the PKK previously designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
  • Speculation surrounds potential political concessions, including improved conditions for Ocalan and expanded Kurdish rights in Turkey.