Kurdish PKK disbands after 40 years of insurgency: What led to the move and what it means for Turkey

Kurdish rebel group PKK says withdrawing forces from Turkey

A militant Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), announced on Sunday that it will withdraw its fighters from Turkey to northern Iraq as part of a historic peace initiative with the Turkish government.

In a press conference, Sabri Ok, a member of the Kurdish umbrella organization Kurdistan Communities Union, said all PKK forces in Turkey were being withdrawn to areas in northern Iraq “to avoid clashes or provocations.”

The statement, made in northern Iraq, follows a symbolic disarmament ceremony held months earlier, where PKK fighters began laying down their weapons to signal their commitment to ending hostilities.

The group has waged a 40-year insurgency against Turkey that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s.

This follows a call made in February by the group’s jailed founder, Abdullah Öcalan, who urged his followers to lay down arms and disband. Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, said in a letter that “there is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realisation of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.”

The Firat News Agency, which is affiliated with the PKK, confirmed that the decision was taken following a party congress in northern Iraq.

In a major shift, the PKK stated that it has “completed its historical mission” and will “end the method of armed struggle.” The group emphasized that the Kurdish issue can now be resolved through democratic politics.

Who is Abdullah Ocalan?

Abdullah Ocalan, also known as “Apo,” is the founder and ideological leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He was captured by Turkish intelligence in 1999 in Kenya and sentenced to life imprisonment for treason.

Since then, he has been held in solitary confinement on İmralı Island, near Istanbul.

Over the years, Öcalan has repeatedly called for peace talks and ceasefires between Kurds and the Turkish government. His leadership has evolved from Marxist-Leninist ideology toward what he calls “democratic confederalism,” a model advocating local self-administration instead of a separate Kurdish state.

The PKK’s disbandment has reignited speculation about whether Turkey may release Öcalan as part of a broader reconciliation process, a long-standing demand among Kurdish communities worldwide.

What is the PKK?

Founded in 1978 by Abdullah Öcalan and a small group of Kurdish activists, the PKK originally pursued the creation of an independent Kurdish state spanning parts of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, western Iran, and northern Syria.

Over time, however, the group shifted its focus toward autonomy and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey.

The PKK launched its armed insurgency in 1984, leading to a brutal conflict that killed more than 40,000 people, many of them Kurdish civilians.

Turkey, the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom have all designated the PKK as a terrorist organization.

The group’s estimated 7,000 fighters are primarily based in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains, and the organization has been accused of engaging in asymmetric warfare, extortion, and smuggling.

Why the disbandment now?

The PKK’s strength has diminished significantly in recent years due to Turkish military operations and regional instability. Analysts say internal and external pressures, coupled with changing regional dynamics, have pushed the group to choose the political route.

According to Winthrop Rodgers from Chatham House, the disbandment was made possible due to “some goodwill” from Turkish leaders, adding that “in a lot of ways, the ball is in Turkey’s court.”

The Erdogan administration described the PKK’s decision as a key step toward a “terror-free Turkey.” A spokesperson from the ruling AK Party told Reuters that the process will be monitored by state institutions.

Political observers believe this move could help President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gain support from pro-Kurdish parties ahead of the 2028 elections, potentially enabling constitutional changes to extend his presidency.

Who are the Kurds?

The Kurds are one of the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world, with an estimated 30 million people living across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Armenia.

They are considered indigenous to the Mesopotamian plains and surrounding mountains, united by a shared ethnic and linguistic heritage, though they speak diverse dialects and follow multiple religions, with most being Sunni Muslims.

Historically, the Kurds sought the creation of a homeland called “Kurdistan.”
The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres briefly proposed a Kurdish state after World War I, but the later Treaty of Lausanne (1923) made no such provision, leaving the Kurds divided among modern nation-states.

In northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) operates as an autonomous region with its capital in Erbil, led by President Nechirvan Barzani.

(With agency inputs)