The Kurdistan Workers' Party, Which Has Been Fighting Turkey, Has Announced Its Self-dissolution

The group has waged an armed war since 1984.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which for several decades waged an armed struggle with Turkey to create a Kurdish state, has announced its self-dissolution and disarmament. This was reported on Monday by Firat news agency close to the group, which Turkey, the U.S. and the EU consider terrorist, the Radio Liberty website wrote.

The PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence in a Turkish prison, had earlier called for the organization's self-dissolution. In response to Ocalan's call, the PKK held a congress in northern Iraq, where it is based, and supported the decision. A statement released said the PKK had "fulfilled its historic mission" and the Kurdish issue could now be resolved democratically.

Turkey's ruling party spokesman Omer Celik called the decision "an important step toward a terror-free Turkey." Ankara had reportedly been expecting the PKK's decision. As the agencies note, Turkish President Redcep Erdogan earlier promised to allocate additional funds for the development of Turkey's southeastern regions, populated predominantly by Kurds, if security is ensured there.

The fight against the PKK, which until recently staged terrorist attacks against Turkish law enforcement officers and officials, has served as a pretext for persecuting opposition activists in Turkey - in particular, ties to the PKK have also been attributed to the recently arrested mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party has been engaged in an armed struggle with Turkish authorities since 1984. Turkey, in turn, has often conducted operations in neighboring countries in its fight against the separatists, and in recent years has occupied a number of territories in northern Syria.

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