Türkiye has notable experience in combatting terrorism. With the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, hopes of peace have emerged.

Throughout the 20th century, the Kurdish issue sometimes surfaced in the geopolitical web of key states; at other times it lost its appeal after those states reached their ambitious tactical goals.

The history of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) formation in Türkiye in 1978 and the nomination of Abdullah Öcalan as party leader is unknown to the general public. Moreover, the formation of this political structure and its armed units remains in the archives of the special services. Nevertheless, despite decades of armed struggle, Öcalan remained unscathed and did not repeat the sad fate of other key PKK figures (for example the founders of the party’s armed groups, Ali Haydar Kaytan and Riza Altun, who were liquidated by Turkish intelligence in special operations).

The Kurdish movement in Türkiye: a limbo state

Previously, opponents of the Soviet Union could claim that the PKK was allegedly under its direction. However, with the collapse of the USSR and Russia’s temporary weakening in the Middle East, the PKK still continued its political and guerrilla activities in Türkiye and neighbouring countries (in Iraq and Syria). Only the threat of subversive actions by the Kurdish Peshmerga on the proposed oil and gas pipelines from Azerbaijan through Türkiye forced the United States, UK and Türkiye (i.e. NATO countries) to localise the likely ‘Kurdish threat’ by arresting PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in February 1999, and subsequently imprisoning him for life is in a Turkish prison on Imrali Island.

Obviously, preserving Ocalan’s life while eliminating his political career allowed Türkiye to gain some control over the PKK’s activities (in any case, it allowed for ensuring the safety of the transit of oil and gas from the Caspian Sea).

Meanwhile, the PKK’s underground presence and their forced migration to neighbouring territories (Iraq, Syria) allowed Türkiye to use the ‘threat of Kurdish separatism and terrorism’ from time to time, which became the justification for special operations by Turkish security forces in the border territories of Iraq and Syria. The consequences of Ankara’s policy are clear in Syria, where Kurdish groups (i.e. the People’s Defence Units) are designated as Türkiye’s main enemy.

In the context of Syrian civil unrest and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Ankara is considering the prospect of Syrian Rojava (Kurdistan) establishing itself as an autonomy as a challenge to the security interests of the Turkish state. Accordingly, Türkiye associates the strengthening of the Kurdish military and political factor in Syria with the policies of the United States and Israel. Eliminating the export of the ‘Kurdish revolution’ from Iraq and Syria to Türkiye is becoming a priority for Ankara.

Erdogan has made significant progress in Kurdish affairs. The Turkish president and his coalition ally in parliament, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, came up with the idea of Abdullah Öcalan making a political appeal to party members calling for the self-dissolution of the PKK. Öcalan made such an appeal from a prison cell on Imrali Island at the end of February 2025. He called for a session to be convened and a decision to end the armed struggle and self-dissolution.

A little over two months later, on May 5-7, an extraordinary session of the PKK was held with the participation of 232 delegates, following which a decision was made to cease armed activities and self-dissolve. The Turkish media released this statement on May 12 and consider it a historic achievement.

It is obvious that the PKK was forced to make such a decision not only in connection with Ocalan’s statement from a Turkish prison and based on considerations of preserving his physical life, but also considering Türkiye’s success in neighbouring Syria, where its supporters, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, rose to power. The Kurds are losing their ability to organise anti-Turkish resistance; they have neither a strategic rear nor reliable external support from the United States (especially with the return to power of President Donald Trump, for whom the Kurds are not a priority).

For this reason, Azeri experts note that political developments in the region leave no chances for PKK leaders to continue their activities. The Kurds must replace their war tactic with peace. Time will tell whether this peace will be sound or fragile, lasting or temporary.

Hakan Fidan – the era of a new political figure in Türkiye

Recep Erdogan is an extraordinary politician who can combine harshness and flexibility, play on different sides and not lose anywhere, buy and sell, and – most importantly – understands that a big victory begins with a small success.

In Kurdish affairs, Erdogan relied not on an organisation (party), but on a person with a certain ethnic background, politically educated with the idea of a strong Türkiye (neo-Ottomanism) and who owed his rise to the new Türkiye and its new leader. This person turned out to be the former Turkish national intelligence chief (MIT) and the current head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hakan Fidan.

The rise of Fidan politically (from officer to minister) during Erdogan’s rule refutes all the calculations of a refined careerist. Studying in the USA and interning in London, defending a dissertation in political science on the topic of comparative analysis of the special services of the USA, UK and Türkiye, being a government official, then the head of TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency), managing the MIT intelligence service for 13 years, and from 2023 being the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry – such were the stages of Hakan Fidan’s rapid growth.

Assessing the experience of Erdogan’s political longevity, it is impossible not to see his connection with Fidan, the keeper of the Turkish head of state’s secrets. The biographical piece by the Armenian author Gevorg Minasyan ‘Hakan Fidan – streaks in the portrait of a possible future President of Türkiye’ («????? ????? – ?????? ? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ??????», 2025) indicate that Türkiye’s chief diplomat has Kurdish roots.

Meanwhile, Fidan’s career growth testifies to Türkiye’s new democracy, where a citizen devoted to the interests of the country, regardless of his origin, is able to achieve great success. Fidan’s work style represents a new type of Turkish politician, where intelligence and analytics, traditionalism and creativity, conservatism and pragmatism, the ability to work in a team and loyalty to the leader are combined.

While heading the MIT, Fidan carried out special assignments for Erdogan, held secret talks with PKK emissaries in Oslo and personally with Öcalan on Imrali Island. Obviously, Fidan became one of the co-authors of the long-term game and the persuasion of ‘Apo’ (Öcalan’s party pseudonym) to appeal for the self-dissolution of the PKK and the cessation of military confrontation with Türkiye. Hakan Fidan called the decision of the party congress to self-dissolve the PKK a “positive step”, but Ankara expects actual steps.

An important point has been overcome. The country, as noted by Erdogan, is moving towards the goal of ‘Türkiye without terrorism’. The Turkish leader believes that the PKK’s decision to disband itself also pertains to their activities in Iraq, Syria and European countries. Control over the implementation of the declaration is entrusted to the intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Fidan will certainly play a leading role.

Fidan’s personality has attracted much attention inside and outside Türkiye. Some (for example, the author of the aforementioned biographical book) does not rule out Fidan becoming the president of Türkiye, while others believe that he is Erdogan’s way of curbing the Kurdish threat, but not as the country’s new leader. We believe that no matter how the future biography of Hakan Fidan develops, he has already established himself as a bright Turkish politician who has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the development and strengthening of Türkiye. If Fidan manages to ensure the political integration of the Kurds within the framework of a single Turkish state, then perhaps he will be called the ‘Turkish Lenin’.

Alexander Svarants – Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Turkologist, expert on the Middle East. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2025/05/20/pkk-declares-self-dissolution-a-new-era-of-peace-in-turkiye/