Have the Kurds turned away from the quest for an autonomous state?
By Stephanie Almughrabi
On February 27, 2025, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, made a landmark declaration from his imprisonment on İmralı Island, in Turkey, urging the group to halt all military activities against the country and dissolve itself.
Relayed by members of the Democratic People’s Party (DEM) in Istanbul, his statement prompted the PKK to declare the end of military resistance, capping over 40 years of armed insurgency.
Following the written statement, Öcalan appeared in his first on-camera appearance in 25 years on July 9, reiterating his early call for his party to spearhead a strategic recalibration to “democratic politics and law.”
Setting the decision into motion, members of the PKK set their weapons on fire in a large cauldron in Iraqi Kurdistan, a symbolic ceremony that demonstrated the group’s readiness to advance peace talks.
The path of Kurdish resistance
To comprehend the magnitude of the PKK’s declaration, it is essential to delve into the historical trajectory of the Kurdish struggle. Amid the reconfiguration of West Asia after the Ottoman Empire’s collapse after the First World War, millions of Kurds were left stateless and denied autonomy within subsequent treaties, such as the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the subsequent 1925 Sheikh Said Rebellion in Turkey, the first notable Kurdish insurgency, which symbolically and strategically shaped decades of the Kurdish struggle.
Rojava: A sustainable model of autonomy
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), commonly known as Rojava, is widely regarded as one of the most enduring Kurdish experiences of autonomy. During the Syrian civil war in 2012, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a PKK-affiliated group, seized territories in Northern Syria, establishing the self-governing territory of Rojava.
On March 10, 2025, the Syrian Democratic Forces signed an agreement with Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa, offering a framework for the integration of “all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria.”
Intra-Kurdish relations: Prospects of unity
The PKK’s unilateral decision marks a shifting point in the party’s relationships with its Kurdish counterparts. Characterized by historical tensions and conflicting ideologies, the PKK’s relationship with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) — the ruling party in Iraqi Kurdistan — is poised to improve, particularly with the prospects for the PKK’s and Turkey's military withdrawal from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
On May 12, Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region and senior KDP leader, issued a statement announcing “the Kurdistan Region's unwavering support for all endeavors aimed at achieving peaceful conflict resolution,” and the group’s willingness to contribute to pushing the peace process forward.
“In Rojava, the bombardments of the Turkish state have stopped; this has radically changed its social and political space,” Dr. Jan Yasin Sunca, FNRS researcher in critical peace and conflict studies at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium, told Global Voices. “But, most importantly, the Kurds in Iran, known as Rojhilat in Kurdish, have gradually gotten closer to the PJAK, a party that follows Öcalan’s ideology and gotten farther away from traditional parties in Rojhilat like PDK-Iran or Komala.”
Kurdish–Turkish relations: Historical changes
The PKK’s declaration is particularly impactful on the group’s relationship with Turkey and the complex peace process that ensues.
For decades, the conflict has defined both stakeholders’ political affiliations and strategic roles, hence its resolution could redefine the PKK’s political status and its influence on domestic legitimacy in Turkey.
“The government plans for this process, which were leaked weeks ago, reveal that it consists of five stages,” said Sunca. “The initial stages related to preparing public opinion and the PKK’s dissolution were realized. However, the last two stages, on legal, constitutional, and politico-social matters, are not only the most important but also the most challenging.”
The ’Greater Kurdistan‘ question
The termination of armed resistance has sparked a debate on whether Kurdish autonomy remains a realistic goal. According to Reuters, the PKK has historically reframed its objectives from establishing an autonomous state to attaining “greater Kurdish rights and limited autonomy in southeast Turkey.” Furthermore, analysts consider that the agreement may advance Kurdish unity and the “Greater Kurdistan,” yet it remains an ambitious undertaking.
The March 10 agreement between the SDF and Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa is also indicative of the Kurdish shift from separatism to political participation. It becomes evident, then, that the Greater Kurdistan vision persists not as a territorial project, but as a hope for political recognition and cultural unity within established boundaries.
“The longing for a Greater Kurdistan seems unlikely given the political climate, and Mr. Öcalan’s democratic, ecological, and women’s liberation confederal paradigm has superseded this longing,” Ishak Milani, political scientist and co-chair of the Kurdish People’s Assembly, told Global Voices. “Nevertheless, thanks to the sacrifices of the armed struggle and the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla [the armed wing of the PKK], a space has been opened for us, the Kurdish people, to learn and develop our language, history, and philosophy.”
“The new generation, having graduated from liberal sources and the curriculum of the capitalist nation-state, is developing more nationalist and strident aspirations, influenced by the rising right wing globally,” said Milani. “Yet, the overwhelming majority of Kurdish society, despite their uneasiness about trusting the Turkish state, salutes and embraces Mr. Öcalan’s call for ‘Peace and a Democratic Society.’”
Global and regional response
Statements from Iraqi and Iranian officials have expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of resolving the long-standing issue. The Iraqi presidency released a statement urging all sides to “respect sovereignty, support legitimate rights, and commit to peace.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei expressed similar sentiments in his own statement.
US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes described it in a statement to Voice of America as an opportunity to advance Turkish–US allegiances and alleviate Turkey’s concerns over the US-backed SDF/YPG in Syria.
Public response
Nuances in public reactions exhibit apprehensions over how the transition will unfold, and whether this move is underpinned by Erdoğan’s strategic motives, namely, prolonging his presidential term.
Kurdish activists and TikTok influencers considered that the release of Öcalan and Kurdish prisoners as part of the agreement without guarantees for Kurdish participation in politics and institutions is inadequate.
Moreover, predominantly Kurdish Reddit users sparked substantial debate regarding the PKK’s declaration to abandon armed struggle, as reflected in a thread on r/kurdistan, where users expressed conflicting opinions. Users also discussed the shift from military engagement to democratic nation-building within Turkey and expressed that the disarmament should be accompanied by concrete political actions.
“As long as democratic platforms remain effective and genocide and assimilation are not imposed on the Kurdish people, the reemergence of armed conflict against Türkiye is out of the question. Positive integration is crucial for the sustainability of this process,” said Milani. “In this context, it is crucial that individuals, states, and organizations involved in this issue closely monitor the legal process and act as arbitrators.”
The PKK’s declaration has catalyzed a series of youth-led workshops, social media campaigns, and virtual events aimed at fostering internal dialogue, non-violent advocacy, and civic participation in peace processes.
In an online webinar organized by the Global Tapestry of Alternatives, Jineoloji and the Academy of Democratic Modernity on March 23, participants discussed the evolving political process of Kurdistan and the future of democratic nation-building.
On June 24, Chatham House’s Middle East & North Africa Programme hosted a webinar titled “Kurdish peace: What does it mean for Turkey, the Kurds and the region?” featuring Kurdish activists and students to address post-disarmament queries. However, the success of these initiatives remains contingent upon the outcomes of the peace talks that will shape the region’s political landscape.
Stephanie Almughrabi holds an MBA and a BA in Multimedia Journalism with a minor in Public Relations and Advertising from the Lebanese American University. She is a resolute believer in the power of community-driven media in connecting people to complex realities and amplifying underrepresented voices. Through her writing, she aims to promote thoughtful dialogue and encourage readers to delve into the varied facets of stories and lived realities.
