Armed conflict

Turkey: PKK Declares Cease-Fire After 40 Years of Conflict

Published MAR 1 2025

Story

Above: A Syrian Kurdish woman waves a flag bearing a picture of Abdullah Ocalan on Feb. 27, 2025. Image credit: Delil Souleiman/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced a cease-fire on Saturday, following imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for the group to lay down arms and dissolve itself after a 40-year armed conflict with Turkey that claimed over 40K lives.
Daily Sabah
TRT Global
The PKK's executive committee, based in northern Iraq, declared they would fully implement Öcalan's call for peace and a democratic society, stating that none of their forces would take armed action "unless attacked."
Turkiye Today
EuroNews
The peace initiative began in December when Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's coalition partner, nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, extended an olive branch to the PKK, leading to unprecedented meetings between Öcalan and Kurdish politicians.
Hürriyet Daily News
The New Arab
The PKK demanded Öcalan's release from Imrali prison, where he has been held since 1999, requesting him to personally lead a congress that would oversee the group's dissolution.
Timesofisrael
Al Jazeera
The cease-fire comes after Erdoğan on Friday termed Öcalan's call as "a historic opportunity to advance towards the objective of destroying the wall of terror," promising to monitor the implementation process closely.
Al Jazeera
Arab News
It also comes against the backdrop of substantial changes in the Middle East, including the ouster of Pres. Bashar Al Assad in Syria, the weakening of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the cease-fire deal in the Israel-Hamas war.
EuroNews
BBC News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The peace initiative is a strategic opportunity to end decades of conflict, strengthen regional stability, and expand democratic space in Turkey, while potentially securing Kurdish cultural and political rights. Additionally, peace with Öcalan could help Ankara secure its interests in Damascus and give Erdoğan a chance to extend his power domestically.

nytimes

The New Arab

Narrative B

The disarmament process requires concrete guarantees to succeed, including Öcalan's release, improved prison conditions, and a secure negotiation environment. While there is a universal desire for peace, it's important to recognize that negotiating with a group designated as a terrorist organization will not tear down the wall of terror.