Kurdish militants declare self-dissolution and disarmament
The Kurdish militant group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has announced its disbandment and disarmament as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey aimed at ending four decades of armed conflict, the Associated Press reports .
The PKK's statement came a few days after the organization's congress in northern Iraq.
According to the document, the congress assessed that the PKK's struggle "brought the Kurdish issue to a solution through democratic politics, thus fulfilling its historical mission."
"As a result, the activities of the PKK have been officially suspended," the party announced.
As the agency notes, details of the peace initiative have not been made public, so it is not clear how this process will proceed, in particular, how the weapons will be disposed of and who will control these procedures.
The future of PKK fighters also remains uncertain, including whether they can be relocated to third countries. Any concessions the PKK might receive in exchange for its decision to disband are not disclosed.
Turkey's ruling party, which designates the PKK as a terrorist organization, welcomed the announcement of its self-dissolution "as a significant step towards the goal of creating a Turkey without terrorism."
At the same time, the Turkish authorities stated that the decision should apply to "all branches of the PKK."
According to the AP, these are likely Kurdish fighters in Syria who have ties to the PKK and have participated in battles with Turkish-backed forces on the ground.
The leader of the US-backed Kurdish "Syrian Democratic Forces" previously said that the call for a ceasefire did not apply to his group in Syria.
- On March 19, 2025, Turkish prosecutors detained the mayor of Istanbul, an opponent of Erdogan, on suspicion of corruption and supporting terrorism. After that, Turkey was shaken by large-scale protests – thousands of people took to the streets.
- On April 30, a Turkish court found Swedish journalist Kai Joakim Medina guilty of insulting Erdogan. The journalist was sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended. Another trial is ahead on charges of ties to "terrorists."
- On May 8, MEPs adopted a report on the situation with Turkey's European integration, according to which the process of Turkey's accession to the EU should be frozen.
