The PKK terrorist group announced today the end of its armed struggle and its dissolution, thus bringing to an end four decades of conflict that have left more than 40,000 dead since the organisation announced in 1984 that it was taking up arms to achieve its political objectives. The decision, which comes days after the armed group announced an upcoming ‘historic decision’ following a congress held between 5 and 7 May, has been received with hope but also with caution in Turkey.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, the announcement was made official through the PKK-affiliated news agency Fırat, which released a statement from the organisation saying that ‘The 12th congress of the PKK has decided to dissolve the organisational structure of the PKK and end its method of armed struggle’.
This decision effectively ends the 47-year existence of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), and comes after the historic appeal made on 27 February by its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, who, from the prison island of İmralı where he has been serving a life sentence since 1999, urged the group to announce its dissolution and surrender its weapons, saying that it had ’reached the end of its useful life‘. Öcalan then called on the PKK to convene a congress to formalise the decision, which the group did between 5 and 7 May in the Kandil Mountains of northern Iraq, where it has its main bases, after announcing a ceasefire on 1 March.
Following the PKK’s announcement, it remains to be seen how the process of handing over weapons will take place and who will supervise it. However, according to Hürriyet, citing sources close to the armed group itself, the weapons in the PKK’s possession could be handed over under the supervision of United Nations international observers. The Turkish newspaper also claims, based on the same sources, that the weapons will be handed over at three locations in Iraqi Kurdistan: Amadiya in the province of Duhok, Binar in the governorate of Erbil, and Köysancak in the province of Seyid Sadık.
Reactions to the PKK’s historic announcement
The announcement made by the PKK was reportedly well received by Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, after he himself supported months ago the proposal of his political ally, Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli, to start a new process of negotiations with the PKK following the failure of the last initiative in 2015, when the PKK ended up unilaterally breaking the truce.
The head of communications for the Turkish Presidency, Fahrettin Altun, nevertheless stated on social media that this ‘is not a short-term or easy process, nor is it a process that will end quickly tomorrow,’ while stressing that the Turkish government will take the ‘necessary measures’ to ensure that the PKK’s dissolution process proceeds ‘in a healthy and smooth manner.’
From the AKP party led by Erdoğan himself, its spokesman, former minister Ömer Çelik, welcomed the terrorist group’s announcement but warned that the process will be ‘closely monitored’ by the government, while acknowledging that the decision taken by the PKK ‘following the call made from İmralı (by Öcalan) is an important step towards a Turkey free of terrorism’ provided that the armed organisation’s decisions ‘are implemented in practice and realised in all their dimensions’.
‘The complete and concrete implementation of the decision to disband and surrender weapons… will be a turning point (for Turkey)’ and will mark a new era, Çelik said. The AKP spokesman also emphasised that this decision must apply to “all branches, affiliates and structures” of the PKK. Although he did not give further details, Çelik appeared to be referring, among other organisations, to the YPG, considered the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, whose leaders had already announced after Öcalan’s February appeal that it did not apply to their organisation, despite the fact that the YPG usually carries flags bearing the portrait of Öcalan himself.
The PKK’s historic announcement has been well received not only in Turkey but also in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani, stressed on Monday that the announcement of the PKK’s dissolution and surrender of weapons ‘demonstrates political maturity and paves the way for a dialogue that promotes coexistence and stability in Turkey and throughout the region’ and puts an end to ‘decades of violence, pain and suffering.’ Barzani, who has close ties with Ankara, also expressed his willingness to support any initiative necessary to ‘ensure the success of this historic opportunity.’
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As a history lover, Pablo Gómez was captivated by Turkey from the first day he visited it in 2006: he got married there, has a house there… and has since become an expert on Turkey’s current affairs. With a long experience in media, he has been at the helm of hispanatolia.com since 2011.
