PKK militant group disbands, ends armed struggle against Turkey: Report

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group that has been in armed conflict with the Turkish state for over four decades, has reportedly announced its dissolution and the end of its armed struggle.

The decision, reported by the Kurdish-language Firat News Agency on Monday, followed a congress held last week in northern Iraq and is in response to a call from the group’s jailed chief, Abdullah Öcalan, to disband.

Observers say, upon potential confirmation by the PKK itself, the announcement would mark a significant shift in the longstanding conflict, which has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths since the militancy began in 1984.

The group is designated as a “terrorist organization” by Turkey and its Western allies.

The Turkish government has not yet issued a statement in response to the announcement.

The report followed a series of events earlier this year, including Öcalan’s call for the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve, and a ceasefire declared by the group in March.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has urged the country’s parliament to pass legislation supporting the disarmament of the PKK and to facilitate a peace process.

The PKK disbandment would mark a historic development that, experts say, could pave the way for peace efforts between the Turkish state and various Kurdish groups or revisiting of the Turkish-Kurdish relations.

The PKK was founded in 1978 by Öcalan, initially aiming to establish an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey.

The conflict escalated into armed clashes in 1984, leading to widespread violence and significant losses of life.

Previous attempts at peace, including a ceasefire between 2013 and 2015, ultimately failed to bring an end to the hostilities.