PKK Decides to Dissolve, Halt Armed Struggle in Turkiye
The decision comes after four decades of bloody conflict that killed over 40,000 and exerted a huge economic burden, fueling social tensions.
Turkiye welcomed the PKK's decision as it is paving the way to a legal framework for security, disarming the group. The group was designated by Ankara, as well as its Western allies, as a terrorist group.
The decision was taken following the PKK's 12th congress on Monday
A statement from the group on Monday announced that its '12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK's organizational structure…and end the armed struggle.'
The decision emanated from the congress that was held in response to the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's February call to dissolve.
Ankara has not confirmed or agreed that Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, will lead the dissolution process.
However, the statement did not outline how the PKK's disarmament would be carried out or what would become of its existing fighters.
Analysts say the decision is a good step to boost political and economic stability in Turkiye, as well as alleviate the tensions created by Kurds' groups in neighboring countries, particularly Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
Read also: Algeria's Regime Caught Red-Handed: Kurdish Separatists Hosted in Tindouf Camps
However, the statement of the decision did not mention whether it would apply to the group's affiliates in the region.
This development is set to change power relations in the region as less tension will be exerted by the Kurds, thus contributing to peace and stability in the region.
Background of the decision
The PKK declared on March 1 its decision to take a unilateral ceasefire in its 40-year insurgency against the Turkish government.
The ceasefire decision took place after the PKK's imprisoned Ocalan, called on his militants to disarm, urging Turkiye for his release in order to facilitate the organization's disarmament.
Turkiye welcomed the ceasefire decision, but tensions remained between authorities and the Kurds.
However, Kurds also expect that Ankara will halt its offensive operations against the primarily Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is allied with the US in its fight against ISIS in northeastern Syria.
The Kurdish struggle in Turkiye
The Kurds comprise nearly one-fifth of Turkiye's population of 79 million. They hold a population of roughly 30 million in the Middle East, and predominantly live in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkiye.
Abdullah Ocalan established the PKK in 1978. The group started an insurgency against Ankara since 1984, demanding greater cultural and political rights, and has long sought establishing an independent Kurdish state.
Recently Turkiye, has seen an increasing popular discontent with the June 2013 Gezi Park protests and the July 2016 coup attempt. Tensions have also reemerged between Turkish authorities and Kurdish groups.
Turkish authorities in the southeast have received several attacks from different Kurdish groups. These include, in particular, the PKK, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a left-wing pro-Kurdish party, and the People's Protection Unit (YPG), the armed wing of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) with ties to the PKK. Tags: Kurish peoplePKK TurkiyeTurkiye
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
7 days ago
- Morocco World
Istanbul Police Arrest 4 Magazine Staffers Over Cartoon Allegedly Depicting Prophet Muhammad
Rabat – Police in Turkiye used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a protest after allegations that a satirical magazine published a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. Converging reports said police arrested four people working for LeMan, the magazine that published the alleged cartoon. The cartoon was published last week, triggering backlash and frustration from many, with protesters taking to the streets to denounce the act as an insult to religious values. Viral videos online show people marching across Istanbul, reaching the magazine's office and chanting slogans against the act. On Tuesday, Istanbul's chief public prosecutor's office announced the opening of an investigation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself lashed out at the magazine, describing the act as a 'vile provocation' and a hate crime. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also condemned the caricaturing of Prophet Muhammad, noting that the act is not a press freedom nor is it freedom of expression. 'These provocative acts, which insult our sacred values and deeply hurt Muslim consciences, will not go unpunished,'he said in a statement. The minister said that six detention orders were issued. A graphic designer, as well as two other senior staff members from the magazine and a cartoonist, were arrested, and the investigation is ongoing to arrest other accomplices. The magazine, LeMan, later apologized to readers, claiming the cartoon was misinterpreted and was meant to depict the 'suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks.' It further claimed that the cartoon does not portray Prophet Muhammad, noting that the general name 'Muhammed' is the most common in the Muslim world.
Morocco World
29-06-2025
- Morocco World
Gaza Genocide: Moroccan Support for Israel Ties Plummets
As Israel's genocide in Gaza stretches into its second year unbated, a recent Arab Barometer survey showed a sharp decline in public support for ties with Israel across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In Morocco, support for diplomatic alliance with Israel plummeted from 31% in 2022 to just 13% following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. The poll also reveals a sharp decline in favorability toward Israel's Western allies. Positive views of the United Kingdom dropped by 38 points and those of France fell by 10 points in Morocco. Meanwhile, in Jordan, Mauritania, and Lebanon, the United States saw its popularity decline by 23, 19, and 15 points respectively. This backlash stems largely from the US's unwavering support for Israel's genocide in Gaza—through arms supplies, narrative backing, diplomatic protection, and five vetoes against ceasefire resolutions—rendering it a direct accomplice in the ongoing atrocities. Conversely, the survey reports a favorable shift towards China – a power rivaling US and Western hegemony and one of the few global actors to openly condemn Israel's actions. China's favorability surged across the MENA, with a 15 points increase in Morocco alone. The survey also confirms that Israel's atrocities have deepened regional support for the Palestinian cause and heightened condemnation for Israel. In Morocco, a clear majority now recognize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and ethnic cleansing. Interestingly, majorities across nearly all surveyed countries still express support for a two-state solution, even in the wake of its ongoing genocide in Gaza. Though often framed as the most viable resolution, the two-state solution remains deeply controversial. It legitimizes Israel's occupation and the ethnic cleansing that began in 1948, reduces Palestinian self-determination to a fragmented, non-sovereign entity on just 22% of historic Palestine. This framework also represents Israel and Palestine as equal negotiating partners, thus obscuring the reality of ongoing military occupation and apartheid. More fundamentally, the two-state framework directly contradicts al-thawabit al-wataniyya— the principles at the core Palestinian national principles—which uphold the right of return for all refugees, full sovereignty over all of historic Palestine, and the refusal to recognize Israel as a legitimate settler-colonial entity. These thawabit, or constants, forged through generations of resistance, affirm that justice cannot be achieved through partition or compromise with colonialism. The two-state model bypasses these foundational demands, offering instead a Western-backed framework that entrenches Israeli supremacy and validates the outcomes of dispossession. Ultimately the study concludes a widening rift between public opinion and official policy. While Arab governments continue to avoid direct confrontation with Israel, the backlash from their own populations has become a growing obstacle to cooperation with Israel. Anatomy of a genocide Israel used the Al-Aqsa Flood operation as a pretext to escalate its aggression. But its live-streamed atrocities have stripped away decades of propaganda, exposing its crimes in real time to the world—and especially to the region it has terrorized since its founding. For people across the MENA region—who have lived through Israel's violent creation, from the Nakba, successive land grabs to the wars, intifadas, and repeated assaults on Gaza—October 7 reignited condemnation and reawakened political consciousness. It educated a new generation on the atrocities Israel has long sought to erase, along with the indigenous trees it uproots and the indigenous people it kills. However, the genocide in Gaza goes on as Israel and its allies continue to weaponize antisemitism and the legacy of Europe's Holocaust to shield themselves from accountability while committing atrocities that would make even Hitler blush. The official death toll remains over 56,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023. But the real number is likely far higher, as thousands remain buried under rubble or have been blown apart—never making it to morgues or registries. Many will never be counted, never be named, and never be laid to rest. UNICEF estimates that at least 50,000 children have been killed or injured. This is not mere 'collateral damage' — it is a deliberate strategy at the heart of Israel's genocidal project: to annihilate the possibility of a Palestinian future. With famine manufactured by Israel and a deadly shortage of baby formula, hundreds of children await their death sentence before they've even had a chance to live. To deflect international criticism, Israel introduced the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a US-Israel-backed initiative that places Palestinian survival in the hands of the very powers carrying out their destruction. Palestinians and independent aid groups have already described GHF sites as death zones. Since their launch in late May, reports—including testimony from Israeli soldiers in Israeli media—confirm that troops were ordered to shoot Palestinians approaching these aid points. Yet, in the face of starvation, many Palestinians are left with no choice but to risk death for the chance of receiving food. Even the aid reaching Gaza is poisoned. Experts inside the Strip report finding OxyContin—a powerful, addictive opioid— mixed into flour bags. A cruel tactic seeking to inflict further suffering on a population barely clinging to life, aiming to shatter Gazans' will and tear apart their social fabric from within.
Morocco World
27-06-2025
- Morocco World
Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo Expected to Sign a Peace Deal
Rabat – Ministers from Rwanda and the DRC are likely to sign a comprehensive peace settlement. This comes after widespread violence in the Eastern Congo region since January. This peace settlement is likely to be signed by Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirhebe and DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. There will also be participation from the two nations' presidents, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame. This will take place in Washington, D.C. This peace deal comes after extensive peace talks between Rwanda, the DRC, the United States, and Qatar. The peace settlement was initialled on June 18 in Washington, DC, and is set to bring this violence to an end. Key elements of the deal are centred on addressing territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional removal of non-state armed groups. This is a comprehensive agreement that addresses most of the issues and concerns . Marco Rubio had stated that 'this is a great day for Africa and quite frankly a great day for the world.' If this agreement were to be signed, it would also allow for greater Western investment to be made in terms of regional development. This peace agreement is aimed at bringing a decade-long conflict in Eastern Congo to an end. This has been a devastating and catastrophic conflict with the killings of thousands of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. Violence and conflict erupted across the Eastern Congo region in January. M23 rebels captured large cities and towns such as Goma and Bukavu. This is because the region is rich in important minerals such as gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium. Human rights abuses have been observed on all sides. M23 has been accused by Amnesty International of torturing and killing civilians. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, stated that the DRC Troops and armed groups had also committed human rights abuses . Rwanda has consistently denied accusations that it backs one of the many armed groups in the region, the M23. The Kigali government has stated that its military presence in the region is there to provide stability and to stop the FLDR. The FLDR is a rebel group consisting of members of the Hutu majority who were involved in the devastating Rwandan genocide in 1994. The DRC has denied accusations that it has been funding and supporting this organisation. Previous attempts to end this conflict have not been able to end the violence . For example, the Rwandan and Congolese governments reached partial peace agreements twice under Angolan mediation but failed to endorse the deal. This peace settlement has the potential for building stability in East Africa and bringing one of the continent's worst conflicts to a conclusion. Tags: Congorwanda genocide
