Fri May 09 17:36:49 UTC 2025: ## Kurdish Group Announces “Historic” Decisions After Congress, Peace with Turkey Remains Uncertain

**Ankara, Turkey –** The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group, announced “historic” decisions following a congress held in northern Iraq this week (May 5-7). While the group hasn’t explicitly stated whether it will disarm and disband, the news has sparked cautious optimism about a potential end to the four-decade conflict with Turkey.

The congress, convened following a call from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in February, saw Ocalan’s proposals read aloud. Statements from the PKK indicate the “historic” decisions will be revealed publicly soon. The group, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and many Western nations, previously announced a ceasefire but had laid down conditions for disbanding, including legally-binding peace talks.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEM), involved in the peace effort, described the congress as a turning point and emphasized the role of Turkey’s parliament in achieving lasting peace and democratization. The DEM party lauded the efforts of the late Sirri Sureyya Onder, a key figure in the peace initiative.

This latest peace initiative, launched in October 2024 by Turkish politician Devlet Bahceli, proposed parole for Ocalan in exchange for the PKK’s renunciation of violence and disbandment. However, previous peace attempts have failed, most recently in 2015. The full implications of the PKK’s decisions remain to be seen, but the announcement marks a significant development in the long-standing conflict.

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