THE Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group announced yesterday that it will disband and disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey, ending four decades of armed conflict.

The decision by the PKK, which promises to put an end to one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East and could have a significant impact in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, was announced by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. 

It comes days after the PKK convened a party congress in northern Iraq.

In February, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group to convene a congress and formally decide to disband.

The call by Mr Ocalan, who continues to wield significant influence in the Kurdish movement despite his 25-year imprisonment, marked a pivotal step toward ending the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s.

Building on the momentum, the PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire on March 1, but attached conditions, including the creation of a legal framework for peace negotiations.

The PKK is listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

In a statement, the PKK announced its decision to end its “organisational structure,” suggesting that its armed struggle has successfully challenged policies that sought to suppress Kurdish rights.

The congress assessed that the PKK’s struggle had “brought the Kurdish issue to the point of resolution through democratic politics, thus completing its historical mission,” according to the statement.

“As a result, activities carried out under the name ‘PKK’ were formally terminated,” the statement said.

Turkey’s governing party welcomed the announcement “as a significant step toward the goal of a terror-free Turkey.”

Details of the peace initiative have not been made public and it was not clear how the process would proceed, including how weapons would be disposed of and who would monitor the procedures.