Why has the PKK ended its armed struggle?

[[{“value”:”

Inside Story

Why has the PKK ended its armed struggle?

Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party lay down their arms after decades of war with Turkiye.

It’s one of the longest-running conflicts in the Middle East – and it’s about to come to an end.

Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have started laying down their arms at a ceremony in northern Iraq.

It comes two months after the group said it would end its armed struggle against Turkiye and shift to democratic politics.

Reaction has been mixed: Some Kurds think it could pave the way to peace. Others argue it’s a concession with no gains.

So how will this process play out in Turkiye and in the wider region?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Galip Dalay – nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs

David L Phillips – director of the Program on Peace-building and Human Rights at Columbia University

Mohammed Salih – nonresident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who specialises in Kurdish affairs

Published On 11 Jul 202511 Jul 2025

“}]] 

Share your love

Leave a Reply