Key dates in the PKK's decades-long armed struggle against Turkey

Winnipeg Free Press

12-05-2025

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has formally declared its dissolution on Monday, marking a historic milestone that could bring an end to one of the world's longest-running conflicts. For decades, the insurgency has extended beyond Turkey's borders into northern Iraq and northern Syria, claiming tens of thousands of lives.
The decision raises hopes for peace and a significant shift in the region's stability.
Here are some key dates in the history of the organization that is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and several Western nations:
Nov. 27, 1978
The PKK — an acronym for its Kurdish name, Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan — is officially founded in the village of Fis, in Turkey's mainly-Kurdish province of Diyarbakir by Abdullah Ocalan and a group of political science students from Ankara University. The Marxist organization was initially established to create an independent Kurdish state, but its objectives evolved over time to include autonomy and greater rights for Kurds, who make up an estimated 20% of the population.
1980
A military coup in Turkey forces much of the PKK to flee to neighboring countries such as Syria and Lebanon, where the fighters train in the Bekaa Valley. Ocalan leaves a year earlier, in 1979.
Aug. 15, 1984
The PKK carries out its first armed attack against Turkish security posts, marking the start of its armed insurgency.
1998
Turkey issues an ultimatum to Syria, warning Damascus to expel Ocalan or face military action. The pressure forces Ocalan to leave his long-time base. Ocalan would spend the next four months traveling between several European countries, including Russia, Italy and Greece.
Feb. 15, 1999
Ocalan is captured in Nairobi, Kenya by Turkish special forces — reportedly with assistance from the CIA. He is flown to Turkey and jailed on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, off Istanbul.
June 29, 1999
Ocalan is convicted of treason and sentenced to death. His sentence is later commuted to life imprisonment, after Turkish abolishes the death penalty in 2002.
August 1999
Ocalan calls on his groups to declare a unilateral ceasefire and withdraw from Turkish territory. The PKK announces a ceasefire that remains largely in effect until 2004.
2009-2011
PKK representatives hold secret talks with Turkish intelligence officers in Oslo, Norway, which ultimately break down.
March 21, 2013
Ocalan calls on the PKK to lay down arms in a letter read during celebrations of the Kurdish spring festival of Newroz, marking the beginning of the peace initiative dubbed the 'Solution Process.'
July 20, 2015
A deadly bomb attack targeting Kurds near the Syrian border leads to the collapse of the peace initiative and resumption of conflict.
Oct. 22, 2024
Devlet Bahceli, leader of Turkey's far-right nationalist party that's allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggests parole for Ocalan, if his group renounces violence and disbands, hinting at the start of a renewed peace initiative.
Oct. 23, 2024
PKK attack on a defense company near Ankara kills five people and wounds more than 20 others. Turkey retaliates with airstrikes on suspected Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria.
Feb. 27, 2025
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Ocalan issues message from prison calling on PKK to disarm and disband.
March 1, 2025
PKK declares ceasefire and expresses readiness to convene a party congress to dissolve itself.
May 12, 2025
PKK announces decision to dissolve itself and end its armed struggle.