Erdogan Hails PKK Disbandment as Key Step Toward Peace
The PKK’s announcement marked the formal end of its decades-long armed insurgency against the Turkish state, bringing to a close one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in the region.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday welcomed the official dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), calling it a “historic” and “important decision for maintaining peace and fraternity” in Turkey.
The PKK’s announcement marked the formal end of its decades-long armed insurgency against the Turkish state, bringing to a close one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in the region.
“We are moving confidently toward our goal of a terror-free Turkey, overcoming obstacles, breaking prejudices, and thwarting the traps of discord,” President Erdogan said in a televised address.
The disbandment of the PKK, which has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, comes after years of intermittent conflict and failed peace negotiations. The group, which began its armed campaign in 1984, had sought greater autonomy and rights for Kurds in Turkey.
The decision is being viewed as a potential turning point for stability in southeastern Turkey and a new chapter in Turkish-Kurdish relations.
