The mood is calm, not much excitement, but this is historic in any case. The PKK’s decision to disband after four decades of conflict represents a potential turning point in Turkish-Kurdish relations and regional stability. While the announcement has been met with cautious optimism from various stakeholders, there is widespread acknowledgment that this is just the beginning of a complex peace process that will require concrete implementation steps and continued engagement from all parties.
As Duran Kalkan, a PKK executive committee member, stated: “This is not the end, it is a new beginning”15. The success of this historic decision will ultimately depend on the follow-through from both the PKK and Turkish authorities, as well as the international community’s support for the peace process.
PKK Disbands: Analysis of Historic Decision and Public Reactions
On May 12, 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its historic decision to dissolve after more than four decades of armed conflict with Turkey. This monumental development comes following the call from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in February to disband the organization and end the armed struggle. As this pivotal moment unfolds, numerous stakeholders have issued statements reflecting the significance of this decision for Turkey and the broader region.
The PKK’s Dissolution Statement
The PKK’s 12th Congress, held between May 5-7, 2025, with 232 delegates participating, released a comprehensive statement officially announcing its dissolution. The congress was conducted simultaneously in two locations due to security concerns amid “ongoing clashes, aerial and ground attacks, continued siege of our regions, and the KDP embargo”13.
In its declaration, the PKK stated that it had “completed its historical mission” by bringing the Kurdish issue to a point where it could be resolved through democratic politics rather than armed conflict13. The key resolutions announced include:
Dissolving the PKK’s organizational structure
Ending the armed struggle
Having the implementation process managed by Abdullah Öcalan (referred to as “Leader Apo”)
Concluding all activities carried out under the PKK name13
The statement frames the PKK’s 47-year struggle as opposing “the denial and annihilation policies rooted in the Treaty of Lausanne and the 1924 Constitution”1. It references the organization’s evolution from its founding in 1978 through various phases of conflict and ceasefire attempts, including the “international conspiracy of February 15, 1999” that led to Öcalan’s capture1.
The PKK’s declaration emphasizes that “rebuilding Turkish-Kurdish relations is inevitable” and calls on “Kurdish political parties, democratic organizations, and opinion leaders” to fulfill their responsibilities in advancing “Kurdish democracy and the democratic nationhood of the Kurds”1.
Call for Broader Participation
The statement explicitly calls on multiple stakeholders to support the peace process:
“We call on the government, the main opposition party, all political parties represented in parliament, civil society organizations, religious and faith communities, democratic media outlets, opinion leaders, intellectuals, academics, artists, labor unions, women’s and youth organizations, and ecological movements to assume responsibility and join the peace and democratic society process”1.
Turkish Government Response
The Turkish government’s reaction has been cautiously optimistic while emphasizing the need for concrete implementation of the PKK’s decision.
Ruling Party Statements
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was among the first Turkish officials to respond, calling the PKK’s dissolution “an important stage for the goal of a terror-free Türkiye”3. He emphasized that “a new period will start when terrorism completely ends” and that the decision must be applied in practice across all dimensions:
“It will be a turning point when the ‘dissolving’ and ‘laying down arms’ decision is realized concretely and in full as well as in a manner comprising all of the PKK’s branches and illegal structures”3.
Çelik further noted that the process would be closely monitored by state institutions and must be implemented “both ‘inside’ and ‘outside'” Turkey3.
Presidential Communications
Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish government’s director of communications, characterized the process as “not a short-term and shallow process” that had emerged overnight, noting that it “is not a process that will end very quickly from today to tomorrow”9. This statement indicates the government’s understanding that full implementation will require sustained effort.
Foreign Ministry Position
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the PKK’s decision as of “historic importance” for permanent peace in the region, stating that Turkey would follow the process closely9. He emphasized that practical steps would need to be taken for the actual disbandment of the PKK.
Kurdish Regional Leadership Response
The reaction from Kurdish leadership in Iraq has been supportive of the peace process.
Kurdistan Region Presidency
Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, welcomed the PKK’s decision, describing it as a “decisive step that opens a new chapter in the region”6. Barzani characterized the move as demonstrating “political maturity and paves the way for genuine dialogue that strengthens coexistence and stability in Turkey and throughout the region”6.
He expressed Erbil’s support for the peace process, which he called a “historic opportunity,” while thanking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts6. Barzani called on all relevant parties to respond with “positive and necessary steps” to create “a proper and suitable foundation… for a permanent and comprehensive peace”6.
Turkish Opposition Statements
Turkey’s opposition parties have also responded to the PKK’s dissolution announcement.
Republican People’s Party (CHP)
Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), expressed support for efforts to end terrorism in Turkey, stating “We say yes to a terror-free Türkiye”14. Speaking at a rally in Van on May 10, Özel affirmed that the CHP has “supported every sincere step taken for the end of terror and the arrival of peace that is not aimed at deception or bargaining”14.
Özel called for transparency in the peace process and emphasized that efforts should be “rooted in social consensus and conducted within the parliamentary system”14. He also stated an expectation for “legal steps to be taken together to correct all kinds of bad, wrong and incomplete practices that do not make Kurds feel equal”14.
Pro-Kurdish Political Parties
The People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has played a mediating role between the PKK and the Turkish government, welcomed the congress’s decision.
In a statement released on May 9, the DEM Party described the development as opening “a new page… on the path to honorable peace and a democratic solution”6. The party called for “all democratic political institutions, especially the Turkish Grand National Assembly [parliament], to take responsibility for the solution of the Kurdish issue and the true democratization of Turkey”6.
The Nationalist Movement Party’s Role
The current peace process was reportedly initiated by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a coalition partner of President Erdogan’s government12. As early as April 2025, Bahçeli had called on the PKK to “hold their conference and, in line with the Imrali message, dissolve the organization completely and hand over its arms to the Republic of Türkiye”12.
The initiative, referred to as the “terror-free Türkiye initiative,” was launched by the MHP in 2024 and included an unprecedented call for Öcalan to address the Turkish parliament, conditional on the PKK’s dissolution4.
Timeline of the Peace Process
The dissolution announcement represents the culmination of a months-long process that began in late 2024:
October 2024: DEM Party lawmaker Ömer Öcalan visited his uncle Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı prison – the first such visit in nearly four years4
February 27, 2025: Abdullah Öcalan issued a statement calling on the PKK to disband and disarm2
April 10, 2025: A meeting occurred between President Erdogan and an “İmralı delegation”4
May 3, 2025: Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a key figure in the peace process, died of a heart attack4
May 5-7, 2025: The PKK held its 12th Congress5
May 12, 2025: The PKK officially announced its dissolution456
International Significance
The PKK’s disbandment has significant implications for regional stability beyond Turkey. The organization has been designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union1117.
The decision is expected to have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region, including in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish forces have collaborated with U.S. military personnel8. The conflict has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths since it began in 1984211.
The disbandment comes at a time of major regional shifts, including “a new government in Syria, the diminishing power of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza”19. The PKK’s announcement may also affect the situation in Syria, where Kurdish-led forces recently reached an agreement with the Syrian government2.
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