A senior Turkish official has stated that the country is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), following the militant group's announcement to dissolve and end its decades-long armed conflict with Turkey.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several nations, made this historic decision on Monday, months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm. This move has the potential to conclude one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies. In his call, the PKK leader emphasized the importance of securing Kurdish rights through negotiation instead of armed struggle.
Past peace efforts with the PKK have largely been unsuccessful, with the most recent initiative failing in 2015. In light of these past failures, Fahrettin Altun, head of the Turkish presidential communications office, expressed the government's determination to uphold the current peace initiative and thwart any disruptions. “We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Altun stated.
Initially, the PKK sought to establish an independent Kurdish state but has since moderated its objectives toward achieving autonomy and greater rights for Kurds within Turkey. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives since its inception in the 1980s and has extended into neighboring Iraq and Syria.
The latest peace effort, labeled “Terror-Free Turkey,” was launched in October after a key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the group renounces violence and disbands. However, officials have not revealed any specifics regarding the processes that will follow the PKK's decision.
Media reports suggest that the disarmament process may last three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision. According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission that includes Turkey, the United States, EU nations, and Iraq.
The reports also indicate that high-ranking PKK members could be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants may be allowed to return to Turkey once a legal framework for their reintegration is established. Turkish officials have not commented on these reports.
Analysts anticipate that Ocalan may see improved conditions in prison following the PKK’s disbandment. President Erdogan stated that the PKK’s announcement should extend to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish factions in Syria.
Kurdish fighters in Syria, who are linked to the PKK, have engaged in intense confrontations with Turkish-backed forces. The leader of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously asserted that Ocalan’s call for dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria. This group has reached an agreement with the Syrian government for a nationwide ceasefire and integration into the Syrian army, although Kurdish officials later reiterated their aspirations for a federal state, leading to tensions with the Syrian government.
Some analysts suggest that the overarching goal of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to secure Kurdish support for a new constitution that would facilitate his continued leadership beyond 2028, when his current term concludes.
