Türkiye’s Counterterrorism Victory: Military Pressure Forces PKK to Disband
A Win for Türkiye’s War on Terror: PKK Announces Disbandment After Decades of Conflict
Milestone in Ankara’s Counterterrorism Strategy as Armed Group Begins Disarmament Process
July 11, 2025 – In a historic turn in Türkiye’s decades-long fight against terrorism, the PKK terrorist group has begun disbanding and laying down its weapons in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province. The move follows the group’s May announcement to dissolve and disarm — a significant milestone in Ankara’s sustained counterterrorism campaign.
The development comes as a result of relentless and effective operations by Turkish security forces, alongside a robust diplomatic push to isolate the PKK internationally. After years of pressure from Türkiye, the group’s operational capacity in foreign capitals — particularly in Europe and the Middle East — has been severely degraded.
“Step by step, we are realizing a Terror-Free Türkiye,” said a spokesperson from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
The disarmament process is being monitored by a verification team made up of Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) officials and the Turkish Armed Forces. Speaking to NTV, party spokesperson Omer Celik emphasized that the process should be completed within three to five months.
“If it exceeds this period, it will become vulnerable to provocations,” Celik warned.
Beyond military action, Ankara has expanded its counterterrorism efforts to the diplomatic front, leveraging economic and energy diplomacy to pressure allies and curtail the PKK’s financial and logistical lifelines abroad.
The PKK — designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union — has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since the 1980s, resulting in the deaths of over 40,000 people, including civilians, soldiers, women, and children.
As the group now begins the process of dissolution, Turkish authorities remain cautiously optimistic, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and international cooperation to prevent resurgence or splinter movements.
