The Kurdish militant group PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) has announced its decision to disband and disarm, in a move towards ending its decades-long conflict with Turkey.
The historic decision, which aims to end four decades of armed conflict in which tens of thousands of people were killed, was announced by Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the PKK.
In February this year, its 76-year-old leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999 on an island near Istanbul, urged the group to meet and formally decide to disband.
The PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire on 1 March, but only under conditions, one of which was the creation of a new legal framework for peace negotiations.
Listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies, the PKK's insurgency in Turkey began in 1984. The conflict spread to northern Iraq and northern Syria, and saw Turkey carry out incursions into these neighbouring regions.
The PKK's initial goal upon its founding was the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, but this later shifted towards focusing on obtaining autonomy and more rights for Kurds within the Turkey.
A 'terror-free' Turkey
PKK's announcement, as carried by Firat news, said that the decision to dismantle its "organisational structure" was taken due to its armed struggle successfully challenging policies that had aimed to suppress Kurdish rights.
An internal congress meeting concluded that the PKK's struggle had "brought the Kurdish issue to the point of resolution through democratic politics, thus completing its historical mission."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AKP party welcomed the announcement "as a significant step towards the goal of a terror-free Turkey." In a post on social media platform X, a government spokesperson said, "If terrorism is completely eradicated, it will open the door to a new era."
The spokesperson added that the disbandment needs to apply to all "PKK branches, affiliates and illegal structures," likely in reference to PKK-linked Kurdish fighters in Syria who have been engaged in fighting with Turkish forces.
The leader of the US-backed group, called Syria Democratic Forces, previously stated that Öcalan's call for a ceasefire did not apply to them.
Further details on the peace efforts have not been made public, including how weapons would be disposed of and how the process would be monitored.
The latest in a series of peace efforts
A previous attempt at a peace effort in 2015 ended in failure. In more recent years, the PKK began to increasingly limit its attacks to within Turkey's borders, while the Turkish military pushed the insurgents acoss the mountainous border into Iraq.
This latest peace initiative was launched last October by Devlet Bahçeli, a far-right coalition partner to Erdoğan, who also suggested Öcalan could be granted parole if the group renounces violence and breaks up.
Some believe these efforts at reconciliation are an attempt by Erdoğan's government to attract Kurdish support for a new constitution, which would allow him to stay in power beyond the end of his term in 2028.
Bahçeli has argued in favour of the need for a new constitution that would allow this, saying it is essential for Turkey's future that Erdoğan remains in power.
The development comes amidst significant political turmoil in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul mayor and key opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges. The arrest of İmamoğlu, who is the most serious challenger to Erdoğan's two-decade rule, has been widely interpreted as being politically motivated.
