PKK Declares Historic Dissolution, Ending Four-Decade Insurgency with Turkey

In a landmark move, the PKK announced its formal dissolution and disarmament, concluding over forty years of violent conflict with the Turkish state.

The decision follows a direct appeal by founder Abdullah Öcalan—imprisoned on Imrali Island since 1999—and comes after two decades of stalled peace talks.

Originally launched in 1974 to pursue an independent Kurdish state under Marxist-Leninist ideals, the PKK’s campaign spread across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, in a conflict that cost tens of thousands of lives.

Regional and international leaders have welcomed the shift as a vital step toward lasting peace and Kurdish unity through democratic politics.