Kurdish militant group PKK to disband after four-decade insurgency against Turkey

The Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) declared on Monday its decision to disband and surrender arms after waging a rebellion against the Turkish government for more than forty years. This conflict has led to the deaths of over 40,000 individuals, involving both PKK insurgents and Turkish military forces.

The PKK’s objective was to establish an autonomous Kurdish state within Turkey, considering that Kurds constitute about 20% of the country’s total population of 86 million. The United States, the European Union, and Turkey have all labeled PKK as a terrorist group.

In a recent statement, the PKK expressed, as per a report from Reuters, that it has fulfilled its historical mission. This mission evolved over time, transitioning from advocating for an independent Kurdish nation to demanding increased Kurdish rights and some degree of self-governance in southeastern Turkey.

The jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, urged in February that the PKK disband. 

Separately, Mazloum Abdi, the pro-American commander in chief of Syrian Kurdish fighters, called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which ousted the Islamic State, said Ocalan’s call did not apply to his organization. The YPG is part of the larger umbrella organization, the SDF, and is not associated with the PKK.

Istanbul terrorism explosion

People leave the area after an explosion on Istanbul’s popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, Nov. 13, 2022. (Ismail Coskun/IHA via AP)

The U.S. and the EU are allied with the SDF and the YPG in the fight against Islamist terrorism in Syria and, in contrast to Turkey, do not see an affiliation between the SDF, YPG and the PKK.  

Fox News Digital has reported over the years on Turkey’s efforts to wipe out pro-U.S. Syrian Kurdish forces (SDF and YPG) who played a key role in the dismantlement of the Islamic State.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters ride atop military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa, Syria, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC18150D4560

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa, Syria, Oct. 17, 2017. (Reuters/Erik De Castro)

In December, after former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad fled to Russia and his regime collapsed, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., declared repeatedly in an address to Erdoğan in Congress, “Leave the Kurds alone.” He added, “The Kurds are America’s friends… The people most responsible for helping us, most responsible for destroying ISIS, were the Kurds.”

The Kurds are among the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world, with some 30 million concentrated in an area straddling Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. A minority in all four countries, the Kurds speak their own language, with several dialects. Most are Sunni Muslims.

You May Also Like
Is ‘Paradise’ On Tonight? ‘Paradise’ Season 2 Return Date, Season 2 Cast, And More

Is the Show ‘Paradise’ Airing Tonight? Details on Season 2 Premiere Date, Cast, and More

In true Dan Fogelman fashion, Paradise Episode 8 was jam packed with…
Amsterdam News, icon of Black-owned publishing, presses forward with a page from its past

“Amsterdam News, a historic Black-owned publication, continues to make strides by revisiting its roots”

HARLEM — The New York Amsterdam News is highly regarded within the…
Crosetti Brand, accused in Edgewater, Chicago stabbing death of Jayden Perkins, takes stand as own witness, attorney

Crosetti Brand, the defendant in the Edgewater, Chicago stabbing death trial of Jayden Perkins, testifies as a witness alongside their attorney

CHICAGO (WLS) — During his trial for the murder of an 11-year-old…
Mohamed Sabry Soliman: What we know about illegal immigrant accused in Colorado terror attack

Facts about the Colorado terror attack suspect who is allegedly an illegal immigrant, Mohamed Sabry Soliman

The suspect accused in a “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado, where…
How Zelensky's men plotted 'Op Spider's Web' that blew $7bn hole in Putin's 'irreplaceable' nuke bomber fleet: Experts praise 'genius' attack but warn of 'violent' response from humiliated Kremlin

Zelensky’s Forces Orchestrated ‘Op Spider’s Web’ Destroying Putin’s $7bn Nuke Bomber Fleet: Experts Laud Ingenious Attack But Foresee Retaliatory Response from Kremlin

It was a top-secret operation some 18 months in the planning. Codenamed…
Essex Files: Tulsa’s Race Massacre Fund Is Misguided - Let’s Fix What’s Broken Now

Fixing the Issue: Rethinking the Approach to Tulsa’s Race Massacre Fund in Essex Files

Tulsa’s new mayor, Monroe Nichols, aims to establish a $100 million trust…
Escaped zebra caught on camera running along busy Tennessee roadway as chaos forces lane closures

Zebra on the loose filmed running on crowded road in Tennessee causing lane closures

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A zebra remains on…
11 stabbed at homeless men's shelter in Oregon, suspect in custody

Man in custody after stabbing 11 people at Oregon homeless shelter

Eleven people were stabbed at a men’s homeless shelter in Oregon in…
Now There's This: Texas Trump Burger Triumphs Bigly

Introducing the Texas Trump Burger: A Huge Success

Themed restaurants have been around for a long time, catering to a…
Witnesses recount terrifying aftermath of Boulder terror attack as victims' devastating injuries are revealed

Eyewitnesses describe horrifying scene after Boulder attack, detailing severe injuries suffered by victims

Reports have detailed the frightening moment a man filled with hate caused…
Leaked medical report 'proves Imane Khelif is a biological male' in bombshell claim about Olympic boxer

Imane Khelif’s leaked medical report allegedly confirms biological male status, raising questions about Olympic boxer.

The results of a medical test on Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif…
Boulder suspect spent a year planning Molotov cocktail attack on pro-Israel march: docs

Documents show Boulder suspect plotted Molotov cocktail attack on pro-Israel march for a year

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Court documents have revealed…