PKK lays down arms, dissolves organisation

On May 5-7, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) held its 12th congress, where it announced the decision to lay down arms and dissolve the organisation.

The PKK released the final declaration of the congress, which stated: "The armed struggle is over, the weapons are laid down," Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

This move comes after a call made by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), for the terrorist organisation to disband and lay down arms as part of the "Terror-free Türkiye" initiative. Following this call, the PKK convened its congress and made the historic announcement.

The conflict between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been one of the longest and most intense internal struggles in the country’s modern history. The PKK was founded in 1978 by Abdullah Öcalan with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state, initially in southeastern Türkiye. The organisation quickly escalated its objectives to include autonomy and greater political rights for Kurds within Türkiye, but its use of violence and guerrilla warfare has been a source of ongoing strife.

By Khagan Isayev