From Bullets to Ballots: Turkey and the PKK's Historic Turn Toward Peace

Abstract

On July 9, 2025, imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan issued a historic call for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to lay down arms, dissolve its armed structures, and pursue peaceful political engagement. Two days later, around 30 PKK fighters participated in a symbolic disarmament ceremony in the Sulaymaniyah region of Iraqi Kurdistan, surrendering and burning their weapons. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the move as a turning point toward a terrorism-free Turkey. This article examines the dynamics of this new peace initiative, highlighting how it differs from the failed 2013–2015 peace process. It explores the conditions for success or failure, and assesses the initiative’s implications for domestic stability, regional security, and international peace. Employing a qualitative methodology, the article adopts a cautiously optimistic view regarding the prospects for a durable and transformative peace.