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The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was founded by Abdullah Öcalan in 1978 as a Marxist-Leninist Kurdish separatist organization. It later shifted from seeking an independent Kurdistan to advocating Kurdish autonomy and political and cultural rights. Turkey, the United States, and European Union designate the PKK a terrorist organization.

The PKK began an armed insurgency against Turkey in 1984, primarily operating in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. The conflict killed tens of thousands and survived several unsuccessful ceasefires. Following Öcalan’s February 2025 appeal, the PKK declared a ceasefire and formally announced in May 2025 that it would disband and end its armed struggle.

Disarmament began symbolically in northern Iraq and was followed by the withdrawal of additional fighters. Turkey subsequently adopted measures supporting demobilization and conditional reintegration. Although the insurgency has effectively ended, implementation remains incomplete, with questions concerning former fighters, Kurdish political rights, possible splinter groups, and organizations Turkey considers PKK affiliates.

References

Conflict Between Turkey and Armed Kurdish Groups, Global Conflict Tracer, Council on Foreign Relations, updated July 29, 2026. Link.

"The Fruit of Patience: How Regional Shifts Ripened Turkey's Path to Kurdish Reconciliation", by Riccardo Gasco and Samuele C.A. Abrami, War on the Rocks, September 4, 2026.

"Cornered, Not Conquered: Turkish Intelligence and the End of the PKK Insurgency", Irregular Warfare Initiative, September 4, 2026. Dr. Sertac Canalp Korkmaz, a security affairs specialist at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey from 2019 to 2024, writes about how the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) finally announced it would dissolve and lay down its arms. This ended an insurgency that had cost thousands of lives and lasted for decades. He claims it was a result of increased use of surveillance and strikes as well as serious negotiations.