Turkey’s ruling party calls for dissolution of PKK affiliates

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Friday called for the full dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliated groups, following a symbolic disarmament ceremony held in the Kurdistan Region.

“The process of dissolving the PKK, including all its branches and illegal structures, and the burning/returning of its weapons must be completed within a short time,” AKP spokesperson Omer Celik said in a post on X.

“The first step has been taken in the process of destroying/handing over PKK weapons in line with the goal of a ‘Terror-Free Turkey’,” Celik said, adding that they will “remain vigilant against all provocation.”

The PKK and its umbrella organization, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), are believed to be affiliated with a network of Kurdish resistance groups. These include the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) in Iran and the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) in northern Iraq.

Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which form the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that functions as the de facto military of northeast Syria, to be an offshoot of the PKK, a designation the SDF has rejected. In February, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s call to disarm does not apply to the SDF.

PJAK also announced in May that it would not disarm or dissolve, stating that Ocalan’s message did not apply to them either.

On Friday, 30 PKK fighters participated in a ceremonial disarmament widely seen as a gesture of goodwill. The group has said that further progress towards peace depends on the Turkish government taking reciprocal steps.

The event followed a February appeal by Ocalan for the PKK to lay down its arms and pursue a political path to securing Kurdish rights in Turkey. In a video message released Wednesday, Ocalan reaffirmed the PKK’s historic departure from armed conflict and repeated his call for the formation of a legislative commission to guide the peace process.

On Thursday, the KCK expressed support for Ocalan’s message but stressed that Ankara must also take concrete actions to ensure the success of the peace process.

According to the PKK-affiliated ANF news outlet, KCK co-chair Bese Hozat was among the 30 PKK fighters - 15 women and 15 men - who laid down their arms during the ceremony in Sulaimani.

Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but has since shifted its focus toward securing greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.