US hails PKK’s decision to disband as a ‘victory for civilization’

WASHINGTON DC - The United States on Tuesday welcomed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party's (PKK) announcement of its intent to disband, hailing the move "a victory for civilization" and expressing hope that it will contribute to greater regional stability.

Speaking during a press briefing, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Rudaw that Washington welcomes “the recent announcement from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] on its intent to disband.”

Pigott emphasized that the United States designates the PKK as “a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” noting that “tens of thousands of people lost their lives as a result of the armed conflict [between the PKK and Turkey] in the decades since the organization was founded.”

“The terrorist group laying down its arms is a victory for civilization,” Pigott said, adding, “It is the United States' hope that this announcement will lead to increased stability.”

The PKK on Monday declared its intention to dissolve and end its armed struggle against the Turkish state, describing the decision as a step toward a peaceful resolution to its decades-long conflict with Ankara.

The announcement followed a party congress held from May 5 to 7, during which members conferred on the group's future in response to a call by their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. In late February, Ocalan had urged the organization to disarm, dissolve, and shift its focus to political struggle.

The US State Department’s remarks come a day after the US’s embassy in Turkey lauded “the PKK’s decision to dissolve” as “a turning point.”

In a post on X, Washington’s diplomatic mission further reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan “to reaffirm our support,” adding that the United States “stands with our NATO Ally Türkiye as it moves toward lasting peace and security.”

“There is no future for terrorism in the civilized world,” the US embassy emphasized.

The PKK’s decision to disband has been met with praise from both Kurdish and international leaders, many of whom see it as a long-awaited opening for peace and political reconciliation.

Founded in 1978, the PKK originally sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted its demands to greater political and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey. Ankara and several Western governments, including the United States and the European Union, consider the group a terrorist organization.