Chicago – May 12, 2025
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group that has been in conflict with Turkey for over 40 years, announced it will disband and end its armed struggle. The decision was made during a congress last week, according to PKK members and Turkish officials. The PKK began its insurgency in 1984, originally aiming to create an independent Kurdish state. Since then, more than 40,000 people have died, and the conflict has caused significant economic and social challenges.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the PKK’s decision an important step toward achieving a terrorism-free country. He said that with the end of violence, Turkey could open a new chapter focused on strengthening politics and democracy. He added that this would benefit not only Turkey, but also the wider region, including Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish forces are allied with U.S. troops.
The announcement also comes as the PKK faces a weakened position in northern Iraq, after being pushed out of Turkey and its borders. Erdogan hopes the decision will allow for peace talks and improvements in the region, although securing a legal framework to safely disarm the PKK will still be a difficult task. Turkey and its Western allies have designated the PKK as a terrorist group.
