The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is anticipated to declare as early as May 9th that it has decided to stop its battle against Turkey and will dissolve as a group, two sources have said, according to Middle East Eye.
The move comes after a February statement from Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK’s jailed leader, in which he urged the group he set up over four decades ago to disarm.
On March 1st, BBC via Reuters reported reported that the PKK hoped Turkey would free Ocalan, held since 1999, to lead disarmament. This move followed Ocalan’s call, which aimed to end 40 years of fighting in southeast Turkey that killed thousands.
The group said it held a conference from May 5th to May 7th and talked about the leaders call. The group said it has made decisions and will declare them imminently “with relevant documents and information.”
Ocalan declared “All groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself.” By “all groups” he references the PKK’s affiliates in Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey
DEM Party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan told Reuters “We are all awaiting this historic decision with great seriousness and importance.” She added, urging mutual steps toward lasting peace. “This historic opportunity must be made permanent. Weapons must give way to dialogue.”
While Ocalan and Turkey held talks, Mazlum Abdi Şahin struck a deal with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in March 2025. The deal gives Damascus full authority over northeastern Syria’s institutions, blocking any Kurdish state or federal system.
The PKK’s disarmament process remains unclear. Few sources in Ankara indicate Iraq may assist in collecting and registering the weapons with the help of neighbouring countries.
Middle East Eye, Reuters
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