 decision to disband and disarm, calling it “an important decision for securing peace and fraternity” in the country.){kind=link}
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday welcomed the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) decision to disband and disarm, calling it “an important decision for securing peace and fraternity” in the country, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdoğan said the decision marked a significant milestone in Turkey’s efforts to eliminate terrorism. “We are moving confidently toward our goal of a terror-free Turkey, overcoming obstacles, breaking down prejudices and thwarting traps of discord,” he said.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, announced its dissolution on Monday, saying it was ending its armed conflict against the Turkish state and drawing a line under its deadly four-decade insurgency.
“The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK’s organizational structure and end its method of armed struggle,” the group said in a statement published by the pro-Kurdish ANF news agency.
The historic announcement came after an appeal by the militant group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, who on February 27 urged his militants to disarm and disband in a letter from prison on İmralı Island in the Sea of Marmara, where he has been held since 1999.
Erdoğan said the disbanding of the PKK should include all its affiliates in northern Iraq, Syria and Europe. “We regard this as a comprehensive decision covering all the organization’s branches,” he said.
The president added that the Turkish intelligence agency and other state institutions will closely monitor the process to ensure the group follows through. “This decision will mark the defeat of those who feed on blood and tears,” Erdoğan added. “The real winners will be our people, our country and all our brothers and sisters in the region.”
Founded in the late 1970s by Öcalan, the PKK took up arms in 1984, beginning a series of attacks against the Turkish state that would cost more than 40,000 lives. The PKK was initially seeking Kurdish independence before shifting its focus to autonomy and cultural rights.
Erdoğan said the end of armed conflict could open the door to a new era, particularly in strengthening Turkey’s democratic institutions. “With terrorism and violence removed from the equation, a new chapter will begin,” he said.
Erdoğan also expressed gratitude to political allies, far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in particular, for their support during what he called a “critical threshold” in the nation’s fight against terror.
The peace talks were initiated by a surprise call from Bahçeli, when he offered Öcalan a surprise peace gesture in October if he would reject violence in a move endorsed by Erdoğan.
Öcalan, 75, has been serving a life sentence without parole on İmralı Island since his arrest in Nairobi in February 1999.
Since his detention there have been various attempts to end the bloodshed that erupted in 1984 and has cost more than 40,000 lives. The last round of talks collapsed in a storm of violence in 2015.
Analysts say that Erdoğan’s seeking a rapprochement with the Kurds was very much related to domestic politics, coming just months after his Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its worst election defeat in the local elections held in March last year.
They say a deal with the Kurds could allow Erdoğan to amend the constitution and extend his term in office, while simultaneously driving a wedge between pro-Kurdish parties and the rest of Turkey’s opposition.
International support continues to grow
Meanwhile, the PKK announcement that it is disbanding and ending its decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state has continued to draw praise from international actors, who called it a significant step toward regional peace and security.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the decision on Monday through his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric. “This decision, if implemented, represents another important step towards a peaceful resolution of long-standing conflict,” Dujarric told reporters in New York.
US Secretary of State Marc Rubio who talked to his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on the phone, called the PKK’s decision to lay down arms and disband itself as a “turning point,” according to a post on the X account of the US Embassy in Ankara.
Rubio told Fidan that his country stands with NATO ally Turkey as “it moves toward lasting peace and security.”
“There is no future for terrorism in the civilized world,” Rubio told Fidan.
Terörist grupların silah bırakması, medeniyet için her zaman zafer teşkil eder. PKK’nın fesih kararı bir dönüm noktası niteliğindedir.
ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Rubio, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan ile görüşerek desteğimizi yinelemiştir. Amerika Birleşik… pic.twitter.com/kyQ2G6EkVi
— U.S. Embassy Türkiye (@USEmbTurkiye) May 12, 2025
On Tuesday Iran’s foreign ministry also voiced support for the PKK’s dissolution, describing the move as “an important step towards rejecting violence and strengthening security.”
“We hope that the completion of this process will lead to the promotion of stability and peace in Turkey and the region,” said ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei in an official statement.
In addition to the UN and Iran, the move has also received positive reactions from officials in Iraq, Syria and the European Union, signaling a rare moment of alignment on a long-contentious regional issue.