Turkey’s Kurdish Conflict Transformed

In February 2025, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) founder Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned since 1999, called on the organization to disarm. The group swiftly complied, first declaring a cease-fire in March and then, in May, formally announcing its readiness to dissolve if the Turkish government recognized Kurdish identity and enabled meaningful democratic participation. What does this mean for a half-century struggle spanning Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran? Is it the end of the PKK or the emergence of PKK 3.0, a shift from armed insurgency to transnational political action? The outcome of this unfolding chain of events will depend on Turkish leadership, regional alignments, and sustained Western engagement, with far-reaching consequences for Kurds, Turkey, and the future of the Middle East.