The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Monday its decision to dissolve and end its decades-long armed campaign, drawing a warm response from Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which hailed it as a major step toward lasting peace.
AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik described the move as an "important step" toward the vision of a “Türkiye without terrorism.” Speaking to state-owned Anadolu Agency, Çelik said the decision followed a recent call from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
“The PKK's decision to dissolve itself and lay down arms following the call from İmralı is an important step toward the goal of a 'Türkiye without terrorism',” Çelik stated, referring to İmralı Island, where Öcalan is serving a life sentence.
In late February, Öcalan called on the PKK to disband and disarm, a message the group officially acted on this Monday.
Çelik emphasized that implementation would be closely monitored:
“The implementation of the decision to dissolve and surrender weapons in a concrete and complete manner, covering all branches and extensions of the PKK along with its illegal structures, will be a turning point.”
He also noted that all stages of the process will be meticulously tracked by state institutions and reported to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Background:
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU, has waged a nearly 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state, primarily in the country’s southeast. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and shaped Turkish domestic and foreign policy for decades.
The group's dissolution marks a historic shift in one of Türkiye’s most enduring and violent conflicts.
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Germany warned on Monday that it will keep weapons flowing to Ukraine unless Moscow accepts a proposed 30‑day cease‑fire, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul telling counterparts in London that new arms packages are ready if Russia refuses to halt hostilities.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held high-level talks in Astana, reaffirming their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation through a package of new agreements worth $5 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his stance on the Ukraine conflict, offering talks while maintaining firm demands that Kyiv surrenders key positions and territories.
Turkish Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler will visit Azerbaijan today for a series of high-level meetings with Azerbaijani officials, according to TRT Haber.
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Germany warned on Monday that it will keep weapons flowing to Ukraine unless Moscow accepts a proposed 30‑day cease‑fire, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul telling counterparts in London that new arms packages are ready if Russia refuses to halt hostilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his stance on the Ukraine conflict, offering talks while maintaining firm demands that Kyiv surrenders key positions and territories.
Turkish Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler will visit Azerbaijan today for a series of high-level meetings with Azerbaijani officials, according to TRT Haber.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, held a phone conversation with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.
Germany warned on Monday that it will keep weapons flowing to Ukraine unless Moscow accepts a proposed 30‑day cease‑fire, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul telling counterparts in London that new arms packages are ready if Russia refuses to halt hostilities.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held high-level talks in Astana, reaffirming their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation through a package of new agreements worth $5 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his stance on the Ukraine conflict, offering talks while maintaining firm demands that Kyiv surrenders key positions and territories.
Turkish Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler will visit Azerbaijan today for a series of high-level meetings with Azerbaijani officials, according to TRT Haber.
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