Bahçeli Welcomes PKK Disarmament as Türkiye Enters 'Hopeful Era'

Reuters

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), welcomed the Kurdistan workers' party's (PKK) disarmament on Friday, 11 July 2025.

"On one side, our country; on the other, the neighboring regions are gradually transitioning into a new and hopeful era. Türkiye stands at the threshold of ridding itself of the scourge of separatist terrorism, a plague hardened by nearly half a century of violence and brutality,” Bahçeli said in statement.

He noted that the PKK, in line with Öcalan's appeal, held its 12th congress from 5–7 May 2025, and declared both the dissolution of its organizational structure and the abandonment of arms.

“As clearly seen in their most recent video message, the founding leadership of the PKK has kept its word, stood by its commitment, and accurately recognised both global and regional threats in due time,” said Bahçeli.

Bahçeli also commended the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party for maintaining what he described as a responsible political stance. “The DEM Party has taken its place on the side of a thousand-year-old brotherhood." 

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) took the first formal step towards disarmament on Friday, 11 July 2025, marking a significant turning point after more than four decades of armed struggle. A group of 30 PKK members, including senior officials, laid down their weapons in the Surdash area of Sulaymaniyah, inaugurating the initial phase of a broader disarmament process, with further steps expected to follow.

The development follows a recent appeal by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has urged an end to the armed struggle and advocated for a full transition to peaceful, legal, and democratic political activity governed by the rule of law.

The four-decade conflict between Türkiye and the PKK has claimed more than 40,000 lives, left vast regions scarred by violence, and significantly shaped Turkish politics and security policy. The current disarmament initiative represents the first meaningful step towards the permanent cessation of the PKK’s armed struggle.



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