The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been in confrontation with the Turkish state for more than four decades, decided to disband and cease armed struggle, reports Reuters. Turkey classifies the PKK as a terrorist group.
The decision was made last week in northern Iraq, where the group is based, according to the news agency Firat.
The PKK held a congress in response to the February call for dissolution by its leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999 on an island south of Istanbul. On Monday, the party stated that Öcalan would lead the process. «The PKK has completed its historical mission, — the statement says. — The PKK's struggle has dismantled the policy of denial and destruction of our people and has brought the Kurdish issue to a point where it can be resolved through democratic politics.»
This move could strengthen the political and economic stability of Turkey, a NATO member, and encourage steps to reduce tensions in neighboring Iraq, as well as in Syria, where Kurdish forces are allies of American troops.
Since the PKK began its insurgent movement in 1984, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people, becoming a heavy economic burden and leading to increased social tension, the agency writes.
The PKK's decision will give President Tayyip Erdoğan an opportunity to accelerate the development of Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, where the insurgent movement has undermined the regional economy for decades. Spokesperson for Erdoğan's ruling AK Party Ömer Çelik stated that the decision to disband is «an important step towards a terror-free Turkey.»
The deputy leader of the pro-Kurdish party DEM, the third largest in the Turkish parliament and a key player in facilitating Öcalan's peace call, told Reuters that the PKK's decision is significant not only for the Kurdish people but also for the Middle East as a whole.
Photo: Reuters