In a month that has seen an unexpected turn toward peace, the announcement by the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) of its dissolution marks the end of more than four decades of armed struggle against the Turkish state. This historic move offers a rare moment of reprieve for the Anatolian region and paves the way for Turkey to pursue a more stable and secure future.

The Kurdish question has long been one of the most complex geopolitical issues in the Middle East. With large Kurdish populations spread across Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, the dream of a separate Kurdish homeland has often clashed with the territorial integrity of these states. That fragmentation has also made the Kurds susceptible to becoming pawns in broader regional and international power plays. The PKK itself has often been at the centre of these dynamics. Over the years, Western powers—particularly the United States—have used Kurdish factions as proxies in their manoeuvres across the region. Nowhere is this more evident than in northern Iraq, where the Kurds have operated with tacit U.S. support, creating a strategic buffer and foothold for Washington.

In Turkey, the Kurdish insurgency has long been a source of internal unrest, especially in the country’s eastern provinces. With Kurds comprising nearly 20% of Turkey’s 85 million people, the conflict has had a deeply divisive impact. The announcement of peace is therefore not just a cessation of violence but a major political win for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose long tenure has focused heavily on countering the PKK and building up Turkey’s military independence in response.

This breakthrough could allow Turkey to shift its focus from internal conflict to regional collaboration—with potential benefits extending to its relationships with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and even Iran. Whether the peace holds, and how it affects Kurds still under U.S. influence in Iraq, remains uncertain. But for now, the guns have been laid down, and a path to regional stability has opened.