In the wake of the announcement of the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, what does the future hold for the “Kurdish question” in the Middle East?

The 12th Congress of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) formalised the dissolution of the armed group that has been at war with the Turkish state since 1984. This Congress is part of the timeline of a negotiation process between the Turkish state and Abdullah Öcalan, with the involvement of the pro-Kurdish DEM party, which specifically aimed at the dissolution of the PKK. On February 25, 2025, the PKK’s founder issued a “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” to demand the group’s dissolution. The consequences of this dissolution will be significant — both on the Turkish political scene, on the transnational Kurdish movement, and on certain regional geopolitical balances. Regarding the Kurdish movement in particular, this dissolution appears to reflect a dual process of fragmentation and recomposition, especially since the PKK’s dissolution does not seem to imply the end of its ideology.

21st May 2025