The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) announced on Monday that it had ended its more than four-decade-long armed campaign against the Turkish state, marking the beginning of a new era in the Kurds’ long-running struggle for political and cultural rights.

“The PKK has fulfilled its historical mission" and brought "the Kurdish issue to a point where it can be resolved through democratic politics," the militant group said in a statement. “Thereby, the activities conducted under the name of the PKK were concluded.”

The announcement follows the convening of a congress by the group from May 7-9 in response to a call from their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, on Feb. 27, who said their war had become obsolete. 

Monday’s announcement is the culmination of more than a year of secret talks between the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ocalan, aimed at getting the militants to lay down their arms and establish a “terror-free Turkey.” 

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc called the moment “a significant turning point” for Turkey in “eliminating the calamity of terrorism, which is one of the main impediments to the development, unity and solidarity of our country.” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was “historic and important” and that he believed that it would lead to “lasting peace and stability.” Fidan noted nonetheless that “practical steps needed to be taken” and that the government would be watching “closely.” 

Erdogan declared that a major milestone had been reached following the announcement.

“We have crossed another critical threshold in the ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ process,” he said Monday evening after a cabinet meeting.

“With the dissolution of the organization and the laying down of arms, the days when families were devastated almost daily for years are now behind us,” he added.

Erdogan also argued that the announcement would apply to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria. The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in the region reveres Abdullah Ocalan as its ideological leader. “We consider the statement as a decision that covers all extensions of the group, especially in northern Iraq, Syria, and Europe,” Erdogan said.

When Ocalan made the call for the PKK to lay down arms in late February, SDF commander Mazloum Kobane welcomed the call but emphasized that it “does not concern our forces” in northeastern Syria.

The government has adopted an extremely cautious approach to a process that remains shrouded in secrecy. Little is known about what the Kurds stand to gain apart from improved living conditions for Ocalan, who has been held in solitary confinement on the prison island of Imrali since his capture in 1999, and legal measures that would allow for reduced sentences or freedom for thousands of political prisoners serving out sentences for “terror” crimes linked to the PKK.  

To be sure, there has been no jubilation or claims of victory from either side so far, with Erdogan wary of a potential public backlash that could further erode electoral support, and the Kurds, in turn, fearful that he could pull the plug on the effort as he did in 2015. That is when his government’s second attempt at striking a deal with Ocalan collapsed. One key obstacle was that the largest pro-Kurdish party — which has regrouped under a new name, the DEM Party — failed to back his plans to concentrate power in his hands under a new executive presidential system that was introduced in 2018. The other reason was the PKK's refusal to join the fight with Turkish-supported Sunni rebels to overthrow the Assad regime.