What does the dissolution of the PKK mean?

From 5 to 7 May, the PKK held its 12th Congress, dedicated to two comrades, Heval Fuat (Ali Haydar Kaytan) and Heval Riza Altun, who played an essential role in the foundation of the PKK and became martyrs. The results made public announced that ‘all activities conducted under the PKK name have been concluded’ and that the armed struggle was coming to an end to open the way for the development of a political and democratic solution.

What does the dissolution of the PKK mean? What does it mean for the struggle in Kurdistan and for the struggle of people around the world?

Geopolitical context

To understand the decision to dissolve the PKK, it is important to take a sincere look at the situation in Turkey. Despite everything it tries to show to the outside world, its real situation is very critical. The arrest of Istanbul mayor İmamoğlu reflects Turkey's deep crisis. Erdogan's regime has fallen to such a level that it has to use the imprisonment of one of its main opponents to keep its power in place.

Let's take a few other examples to illustrate this situation:

-The vanguard role of the capitalist system in the Middle East has now been given to Israel. A new economic route is under construction, linking India to Europe, crossing the Middle East but avoiding Turkey. Israel is the driving force behind the construction of this route, through which it wishes to develop the imperialist project of the ‘Greater Middle East’.

-After more than 40 years of armed conflict with the Kurdish movement and with massive aid from NATO and the United States in general, Turkey has not been able to liquidate the PKK militarily.

-Turkey is going through a major economic crisis, mainly due to its war economy.

-At a time when the forces of global capitalism want to move beyond the status quo of the nation-state, Turkey is insisting on this model. With the war in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen and the fall of Assad, the Turkish state is aware of the scale of the change underway and the risks it poses. If it does not take the form of a military invasion, it could be a state coup, as has happened many times in Turkey's history.

-Israel recently attacked Turkish targets on Syrian territory for the first time.

Based on this context of deep crisis, which contradicts the way Turkey presents itself and how it is seen from the outside, a new peace process began in October 2024. By shaking hands with the leader of the DEM Party (Turkey's pro-Kurdish party), the leader of the nationalist MHP Devlet Bahçeli launched a new initiative. Understanding the major risks to the continuation of the existence of the Turkish state, he called for the development of a new process. This is the major difference with previous processes, which were systematically sabotaged by forces, including the MHP, that had no interest in peace.

What has happened in recent weeks?

Abdullah Öcalan's appeal of 27 February 2025 for peace and a democratic society called on the PKK to hold a congress to disband and lay down its arms in order to move from an armed struggle to a political solution, on condition that Turkey develops a legal guarantee for the process and recognises democratic politics. The PKK reacted positively by immediately declaring a ceasefire and making it a condition of the congress that it be able to enter into direct contact with Öcalan. The DEM Party has continued its work of meetings with various Turkish political representatives, including President Erdogan, the Minister of Justice, the leader of the nationalist MHP party, etc.

Not all the conclusions of the discussions have been shared publicly for reasons linked to the development of the process, but what is certain is that Öcalan's conditions changed to some extent, even if the regime of isolation is still going on. Delegations have been able to visit Imrali and ensure communication between Öcalan and the rest of the movement. It was also confirmed that Öcalan was able to transmit a political report which was shared at the congress.

What is important to understand is that the Turkish state is not a united entity. There are different factions within it with different interests. Some parties want the war to continue, because they have a political and economic interest in it. If the war stops, these factions lose their reason of being. External forces such as Israel, Iran and NATO also want to sabotage this process, which they see as a threat to their own policies. By not responding to provocations that could have halted the development of the process and by taking the decision to dissolve itself, the PKK is keeping the initiative and putting maximum pressure on the Turkish state.

What are the conclusions of the 12th PKK Congress?

It is important to understand the difference between dissolution and liquidation. To be liquidated is to disappear without wanting to. The dissolution of the PKK is a conscious and considered choice that is the result of a congress that brought together more than 200 delegates representing all the branches of the movement. The final declaration states that ‘all activities conducted under the PKK name have been concluded’ and underlines the fact that the PKK, as a Party, has accomplished its historic mission. However, this does not mean that the struggle has been abandoned, in contrary. As one of the PKK founder Duran Kalkan, pointed out, ‘this is not the end of the struggle but a new beginning’.

The conclusion of the congress indicated that a real solution must be developed on the basis of socialism and communal democracy, within the framework of a democratic republic allowing coexistence between peoples. The statement said « we renew our promise to all martyrs of the struggle and affirm our commitment to fulfilling the dreams of Peace and Democracy Martyr Comrade Sırrı Süreyya Önder ». To achieve this ideal, a huge and intense struggle is of course necessary, based on a movement with renewed practices and organisation.

A new paradigm

The main difference between the current process and other peace processes that have taken place in the history of national liberation movements or socialist movements (and which have mostly ended in liquidation) is that the Kurdistan liberation movement has a political paradigm that was built precisely through a struggle against the dynamics of liquidation. The process that is taking shape today has its roots in 1993. Faced with the reality of the collapse of the USSR, Öcalan began to develop a new paradigm to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Soviet experience, while insisting on socialism as the path to human liberation.

From this time on, Öcalan considered that the PKK and its armed struggle had fulfilled their historic role: the recognition of Kurdish identity and the possibility of a political solution. At that time, the first peace process was developing. However, the Turkish president died in unclear circumstances, most likely assassinated, putting an end to the process. For 32 years, the Kurdish movement has been forced to pursue a war imposed by the imperialist powers.

The possibility of peace today paves the way for the expansion of the paradigm theorised by Abdullah Öcalan, based on ecology, women's liberation and radical democracy. Known to have taken shape in north-east Syria, this paradigm, also known as democratic confederalism, represents a great symbol of hope. Whether through the Rojava revolution, guerrilla resistance against NATO’s second largest army, the Jin Jiyan Azadi movement or the communalist experiment in northern Kurdistan, the PKK's struggle has long since gone beyond the borders of the party founded in 1978.This spirit has spread around the world, giving rise to hundreds of groups and organisations. More than a party, the apoist movement represents above all an ideology, a way of life, a culture, an ethic, a strategic vision and a proposal for an alternative social system to capitalist modernity.

In line with the paradigm shift, the role of the PKK has been transformed over the last two decades, leaving the main role to the KCK, representing the system of democratic confederalism built up by the societies of Kurdistan. The peace process opens up an historic opportunity to extend the foundations of this system to all spheres of life. The final declaration of the Congress reminds us of this:

"It is of vital importance that our people, led by women and youth, build their self-organizations in all areas of life, organize on the basis of self-sufficiency through their language, identity, and culture, become self-defensive in the face of attacks, and build a communal democratic society with a spirit of mobilization."

Not an end, but a new beginning

The new process that has developed since the historic appeal of 27 February must also be understood as an intervention by Abdullah Öcalan to bring the apoist movement into a new phase of struggle. At a time when the crisis of capitalist modernity is worsening day by day, the need for a new internationalism has never been greater. As KCK executive committee member Besê Hozat said at the Congress: “We clearly understand that it is a brand-new beginning, a process of change, transformation, and restructuring.”

It's a process of gradually building a new organization that gives shape to this new internationalism expressed in brotherhood and sisterhood between the Kurdish and Turkish people until the islands of Papua and Indonesia, via the mountains of Abya Yala, the European metropolises, the Zapatista caracoles, the villages of Mali, the communities of north-east Syria and hundreds of other territories.

As to where this internationalist and communalist revolution is most developed, Öcalan has made his vision clear. In recent months, he has shared his vision of a Syria where the Druze people, the Alawite and Arab communities develop their own autonomy on the model of that built in Rojava: siblinghood of peoples, women's liberation and communal democracy.

New internationalism

If it's possible to imagine this future for Syria today, who can prevent us from imagining it for humanity as a whole tomorrow? In a world where societies face the existential threat of global war, this paradigm represents an alternative from the Middle East to Asia, from Abya Yala to Africa and Europe. On this subject, the final declaration underlines that: “With Democratic Society Socialism representing a new phase in the peace and democratic society process and the struggle for socialism, the global democracy movement will advance, and a just and equal world will emerge. On this basis, we call on democratic public opinion, especially our comrades leading the Global Freedom Initiative, to expand international solidarity within the framework of the democratic modernity theory.”

Our responsibility

In such a complex process, where many factors and actors play a role, it's normal to have doubts and contradictions. But we must never allow the media war to confuse us. If we have any doubts, they must be about the States and their ability to commit themselves sincerely to a process of political solution. This process will achieve its goals if it is built on trust in the movement and strong comradeship.

Our responsibility is to join actions everywhere that put pressure on the Turkish state, and to openly show our support for the ongoing process by taking initiatives. Without delay, we must also, more than ever, deepen our understanding of the paradigm and link it to the territory in which we live, in order to participate in the construction of this new internationalism.

We conclude with the promise made by the 232 delegates at the conclusion of the Congress:

"As a socialist, I will live in a democratic society based on the Apoist line. I will fight against the male-dominated civilization and the statist system. I will base myself on a democratic communal system founded on women's freedom. Under all circumstances, I will intensify the struggle for the freedom of the Kurdish people. I will lead the way in building a democratic society. I will uphold democratic socialism and freedom. I will preserve all the values established by the PKK. I will fight for a democratic Middle East and a democratic world. On this basis, I pledge my honor and dignity to Leader Apo, all the martyrs of Kurdistan, our entire people, and humanity. I promise, I promise, I promise !”

Lêgerîn Magazine – 14.05.2025