The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is reportedly preparing to hold a major public conference in southeastern Turkey, where it may formally announce its disarmament and transition into a political movement, according to a source within the group.

The development follows a high-level meeting between the Imrali delegation—representing imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan—and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The talks are said to have laid the groundwork for reviving stalled peace negotiations between Ankara and the militant group.

A PKK source, speaking to Baghdad Al-Youm, revealed that preparations for the conference began after the recent contact between Öcalan’s representatives and Erdoğan, which resulted in an "initial understanding to revive historical peace negotiations." The source added that the PKK’s central command is expected to declare the dissolution of its armed wing and the start of a new phase of political dialogue.

However, the move has reportedly faced resistance from some field commanders in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq, where the PKK maintains its military headquarters.

Öcalan’s Call for Disarmament

On February 27, 2025, the Imrali delegation held a press conference and publicly read a message from Öcalan in both Kurdish and Turkish. In his statement, the PKK founder urged the group to:

Lay down its arms,
Disband its military structures, and
Convene a congress to shift toward peaceful political engagement.

Öcalan emphasized that the PKK was originally founded to address the lack of democratic representation for Kurds in Turkey. "Now that democratic pathways are available, the era of armed struggle must give way to dialogue and peaceful political processes," he said.

A Decades-Long Conflict

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, including civilians, and seen multiple failed peace efforts.

A previous ceasefire and negotiation process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed clashes. Since then, Turkey has conducted extensive military operations against PKK positions in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.

Potential Turning Point

If the PKK proceeds with disarmament, it would mark the first major step toward peace in nearly a decade. Analysts suggest that Turkey’s economic challenges, shifting regional dynamics, and domestic political calculations may be driving Ankara’s openness to renewed dialogue.

However, internal divisions within the PKK—particularly between Öcalan’s political directives and the reservations of field commanders—could still derail the process.

A successful disarmament announcement would represent a historic shift in one of the Middle East’s longest-running conflicts, with far-reaching implications for Turkey’s Kurdish population and regional geopolitics.