Turkey opens path to final end to decades-long conflict with Kurdish formations

The Turkish parliament overwhelmingly passed a law that creates the legal framework for dissolving the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and continuing the peace process with the group. The legislation was supported by 468 lawmakers, including representatives of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, its nationalist ally, the Nationalist Action Party, and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party.

The decision represents the most concrete institutional step yet towards ending the conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which has raged since 1984 and has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. For decades, clashes between Turkish security forces and the group’s fighters have become one of the most severe and protracted conflicts in Turkey’s modern history.

The new law aims to regulate the transition from armed conflict to a political and legal process. Among its key provisions is the provision of legal protection for former fighters who have not committed specific terrorist crimes. It also provides for the suspension of sentences for membership in the organization under certain conditions.

These provisions could prove crucial for the eventual reintegration of former PKK members. The aim is to ensure that the disbandment process does not remain a mere formality, but is followed by concrete mechanisms that allow those who have renounced armed struggle to return to civilian life.

However, the law has clear limits. It does not address the broader political and cultural issues related to the Kurdish population in Turkey. Not all issues surrounding the status of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island since 1999, are affected.

This means that the adoption of the law is an important step, but it does not represent a final end to all controversies surrounding the Kurdish issue. For the process to be sustainable, a number of political issues related to the rights, representation and cultural identity of the Kurdish community will also need to be resolved.

The path to this solution began in October 2024, when the leader of the Nationalist Action Party, Devlet Bahçeli, made a surprise call for an end to the armed conflict. Bahçeli is a long-time ally of President Erdogan, and his position was particularly significant given the traditionally hard line of nationalist circles towards the PKK.

After this political signal, the process gradually acquired concrete dimensions. In February 2025, Abdullah Öcalan made an official call for disarmament and an end to the armed struggle. This was followed in May by the PKK’s decision to cease its armed activities.

The next major step was taken in July 2025, when the organization’s fighters symbolically burned their weapons during a ceremony in northern Iraq. The gesture was presented as a sign of the beginning of final disarmament and the transition to a new stage in the process.

For the Turkish government, the dissolution of the PKK would mean the end of one of the greatest long-standing threats to national security. For the Kurdish community, however, the significance of the process will depend on whether the political change is accompanied by real guarantees of rights and participation in public life.

The international aspect is also particularly important. The PKK has structures and influence outside Turkey, including in northern Iraq and Syria. Therefore, even the official dissolution of the organization in Turkey does not automatically mean the end of all its related structures and armed formations in the region.

Northern Iraq is a particularly sensitive area for Ankara. Turkey has been conducting military operations against PKK positions in the region for years, and the organization uses mountainous terrain in northern Iraq as a base for its activities. If the disarmament process is successfully implemented outside Turkey, it could also reduce tensions in relations between Ankara and Baghdad.

The situation is also related to developments in northeastern Syria, where Kurdish armed formations that Turkey considers to be affiliated with the PKK operate. This is precisely why the future of the peace process in Turkey could have an impact on broader security in Syria and Iraq.

The adoption of the law also shows an unusually broad political consensus in the Turkish parliament. Support from the ruling party, nationalists and pro-Kurdish political forces is significant, as the Kurdish issue has traditionally divided Turkish society and the political system.

The challenge for Ankara now is to turn the legal framework into a real process of disarmament and reintegration. Any serious incident or new violence could cast doubt on the political consensus that has been achieved. On the other hand, a sustainable end to the conflict would have significant consequences for Turkey’s security, economy and domestic political stability.

If the process is brought to a conclusion, it would be a historic change for a country that has been living with the consequences of armed conflict for more than four decades. The successful disarmament of the PKK could reduce the terrorist threat, limit the need for military operations and create the conditions for a new political approach to the Kurdish issue.

At the same time, ultimate success will not depend only on the adoption of the law. The practical handover of weapons, the fate of former fighters, the attitude towards Kurdish political forces and the ability of Turkish institutions to maintain dialogue will be key. It is these factors that will show whether the current process represents a temporary political agreement or the beginning of a lasting peace.

Illustrative photo: pexels-hilmiisilak-13464712