After its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan called for an end to the organisation in February, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, which has been engaged in a bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than 40 years, decided to disband and end its armed struggle, on Monday, the 12th of May, according to the British broadcaster BBC and Reuters.
The group is designated as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, the UK and the US.
A decision by the PKK could contribute to the political and economic stability of NATO member Turkey and to efforts to ease tensions in neighbouring Iraq and also in Syria.
The PKK rebels originally aimed to establish an independent homeland for the Kurds, who make up around 20% of Turkey’s population. But it has since retreated from its separatist aims, focusing instead on greater autonomy and broader rights for the Kurds.
MORE THAN 40 000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE CONFLICT.
“The PKK has completed its historic mission,” the PKK said in a statement. “The PKK’s struggle has broken the policy of denial and destruction of our people and brought the Kurdish issues to a point where they can be resolved through democratic politics.”
In February , PKK leader Öcalan, who has been in prison since 1999, called on his group to lay down its arms and disband. In the letter, he wrote that “there is no alternative to democracy in the design and implementation of the political system. Democratic consensus is the way forward.”
It is not clear what he might get in return for disbanding the group, but some believe he could be granted parole.
Kurdish politicians hope for a new political dialogue and a move towards greater Kurdish rights.
Both sides had reasons to reach an agreement now.
The PKK has been hard hit by the Turkish armed forces in recent years and regional changes have made it difficult for the PKK and its affiliates to operate in Iraq and Syria.
President Erdogan needs the support of pro-Kurdish political parties to run again in Turkey’s next presidential elections, scheduled for 2028.
The decision to disband the organisation is an important step towards a “Turkey without terrorism” and will be monitored by the authorities, a spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan’s party said, according to Reuters news agency.
An expert from the think-tank Chatham House said Turkey would need major democratic changes to meet Kurdish political demands. Although Turkish leaders have shown some goodwill recently, it is unclear whether they will do enough to fully include Kurds in politics and society.
The PKK’s decision will also give President Tayyip Erdogan an opportunity to promote development in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish south-east, where rebels have held back the region’s economy for decades.