PKK to Disband, Agree to Supervised Disarmament

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has announced its disbandment and the end of its armed insurgency against the Turkish state after over 40 years, following a congress in northern Iraq and appeals from jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. Turkish officials have confirmed the decision, and authorities are coordinating with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government for a supervised handover of weapons, expected to be completed within four months and potentially monitored by U.N. observers. The agreement may result in about 3,500 PKK members leaving their hideouts, with some returning to Türkiye for legal proceedings and senior leaders being exiled to third countries. While both Turkish and Kurdish officials hail the move as historic, the specifics of disarmament logistics and the scope of legal amnesty for PKK members are still under discussion. The PKK's dissolution is widely welcomed by international actors and is seen as a major step toward stability in Türkiye, Iraq, and Syria. The process is expected to be closely monitored to ensure compliance and may create new opportunities for a political resolution to Kurdish rights within Turkey.