Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday welcomed the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)’s dissolution announcement, declaring it a significant step toward lasting peace and a terror-free Turkiye.
In a statement posted on X, the premier said the “historic” development reflected the Turkish leadership’s unflinching resolve, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish nation, to continue their march toward reconciliation, unity and stability.
“Together, Pakistan and Turkiye remain committed to root out terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he added.
The PKK, locked in bloody conflict with Turkiye since 1984, has announced its disbanding and an end to its armed struggle. The conflict, originally aimed at securing an independent Kurdish state before shifting to seeking greater rights for the community, has killed more than 40,000 people and fueled social tensions in Turkiye, with geopolitical experts saying its end could ease tensions in Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish forces are allied with the U.S.
A PKK official told the Reuters news agency all military operations would cease “immediately,” adding the group would decide on giving up its weapons on the basis of Ankara’s response and approach to Kurdish rights, as well as the future of PKK fighters and leaders.
In February, PKK’s incarcerated leader Abdullah Ocalan had called on it to disband, with the group saying he would manage the process. However, it remains uncertain how the disarmament and breakup of the group would proceed.
Turkiye will take necessary measures to ensure smooth progress toward a “terror-free” country after the PKK decision, announced the presidency’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun.