After 40 years of bloody fighting, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, commonly known as PKK, has announced a unilateral ceasefire with Türkiye, answering the call of their jailed leader to lay down arms and disband.
The ceasefire came after Abdullah Öcalan, from his prison cell on İmralı Island, urged his followers to “convene your congress and make a decision. All groups must lay down arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.” His message, read at a packed news conference first in Kurdish then in Turkish, called for Kurds and Turks to move forward “with the spirit of fraternity.”
From Mountain Fighters to Peace Seekers in One Stroke
The People’s Defense Forces, or HPG, the armed wing of the PKK, swiftly backed the ceasefire, instructing all its armed units to abide by the directive. This decision applies to all PKK-linked groups, including those operating within Türkiye’s borders.
“This decision applies especially to all structures including our main forces in Türkiye and Northern Kurdistan, as well as special mission commando teams and all autonomous units,” the PKK-linked People’s Defense Center stated.
However, the group held back from full surrender, linking Öcalan’s release to any potential steps towards complete disarmament. The PKK also kept the door open for self-defense, warning they would fight back if attacked.
Turkish Leadership Wary but Ready for Peace Process
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has welcomed the ceasefire but offered a stern warning. During a Ramadan dinner in Istanbul, he vowed that operations would carry on “until the last terrorist is eliminated” if the PKK fails to keep its word.
Despite this tough talk, experts think Erdoğan sees this as a chance to end a conflict that has hung over Türkiye for decades. Yildiray Ogur, a columnist who first broke news of the negotiations, told Middle East Eye that “Erdoğan could present this as a major political victory, portraying himself as the leader who definitively ended the PKK.”
The road to this moment was not built overnight. Sources close to the talks reveal that negotiations between the Turkish government, Öcalan, and the PKK lasted more than a year.
The Next Steps in Türkiye’s Peace Journey
According to insider accounts, the PKK’s umbrella organisation, the KCK, will organize a congress within the next two to three months to finalize the dismantling process. Journalist Hande Firat, who has ties to the Turkish government, writes that weapons return and registration will begin in cooperation with neighboring countries.
For Türkiye, the peace process opens the door to needed democratic reforms. The very existence of the peace process might allow many political prisoners to go free, as most are held on charges of belonging to a terror organisation.
Rich Outzen, a geopolitical consultant at the Atlantic Council, believes a renewed peace process will boost Türkiye’s economy and bonds with the United States, while removing a hurdle to regional unity.
Syrian Kurds at a Crossroads as Peace Takes Hold
In Syria, where PKK-affiliated groups control large swathes of territory, the picture gets murkier. SDF Commander Mazlum Abdi has said that while his group welcomes Öcalan’s decision, it does not apply to the Syrian Democratic Forces.
This stance puts the Syrian Kurds at odds with Öcalan’s new direction. His statement weakened the push for autonomy, abandoning previous demands for cultural self-rule.
Türkiye may use this opening to press for Syrian Kurdish integration into the new Syrian government. The peace process could lessen fighting in northern Syria, where Türkiye has carried out military operations against Kurdish forces for years.
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