The Turkish government declared the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative to solve the most prolonged crisis in the history of the Turkish republic. Many observers call this new process the Turkish model of conflict resolution.
Referring to the PKK’s first disarmament ceremony on July 11, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that a new page in history had been opened.
In July 12, 2025, he stated, “We, as the AK Party, MHP and the DEM Party, have decided to walk this path together.” Similarly, Imralı delegation member Pervin Buldan also explained that these three political parties have formed an alliance for the peace process.
I want to briefly mention the main developments that led Türkiye to this day and the main stages of the process.
Way toward the initiative
There are several important developments that led the state to start the process of the PKK laying down its arms. First of all, with the developments in the defense industry being crucial, the Turkish government has begun to carry out effective military operations against the PKK both within the country and beyond its borders for years. Türkiye’s effective counterterrorism operations severely restricted the free movement of PKK militants even in the mountainous regions.
Second, the strong political leadership of President Erdoğan played a decisive role in the struggle against terrorism and in starting a new initiative, assuming great responsibilities. The support of Devlet Bahçeli, the junior partner of the People’s Alliance, has also been critical.
Another critical point has been the expulsion of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) elements from the state institutions, especially from the army. This led to the success in the fight against terrorism, since FETÖ misused the security institutions during the first decade of the AK Party government, especially during the KCK operations and the Oslo negotiations between the government and the PKK.
Also, the restructuring of the Turkish security institutions increased the effectiveness of the Turkish security forces, as security-related institutions are now divided into two categories: domestic and foreign security. Both the Defense and Interior Ministries were restructured. While the Ministry of Interior is responsible for internal threats, the Ministry of Defense is responsible for external ones.
Furthermore, the Turkish government has developed a new concept of fighting against terrorism by pursuing its struggle not only within the state but also beyond its borders, in neighboring states such as Iraq and Syria.
The previous experience of the AK Party leadership and the government also greatly contributed to the successful development of the process. The AK Party previously attempted several times to solve the crisis but failed due to many internal and external dynamics. Therefore, the government has now been much more cautious and developed a new perspective to the process.
Last, but not least, the AK Party’s policies toward the Kurdish people have also been an important factor that contributed to the start of the initiative. Unlike the previous governments, the AK Party governments prioritized providing services to all parts of the country, including the Kurdish region. Thus, the government successfully weakened the connection between the people and the PKK terrorist organization. The public’s confidence in the AK Party has increased.
Stages of the initiative
The “terror-free Türkiye” initiative has been a long process with several major stages. The first stage was the preparation phase of the process and the development of the political discourse. The first concrete step was taken by Bahçeli, followed by Erdoğan backing his efforts. Lastly, the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a call for the PKK on Feb. 27, 2025, to lay down its arms.
The second stage started with the PKK’s positive response to Öcalan’s call for the dissolution of the group. The organization officially announced its dissolution at the 12th PKK Congress, convened on May 5-7, 2025. This development was considered a significant turning point in the history and political life of Türkiye.
The third and current stage started on July 11, when the first group of the PKK burned their weapons as a gesture of disarmament in northern Iraq. This stage will take some time. Following the dissolution decision, the PKK is expected to lay down its weapons by the end of this year. The Turkish officials will inspect the process.
The Turkish officials expect 11 major camps located in northern Iraq, including Qandil and Makhmour, to be fully evacuated once the group completes its disarmament process. Especially the evacuation of Qandil, the headquarters of the PKK that is located on the Iranian-Iraqi border, will be another turning point in the process.
Thus, both the Iraqi central government and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) will be able to control the mountainous regions in the north of the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad S. Al Sudani held a phone call with Erdoğan and stated that the disarmament of the PKK would have a positive impact on the regional stability and development.
In the fourth and next stage, the future of the PKK militants will be decided. It is expected that the executives of the group will be sent to third countries. It is generally expected that the PKK members who have not participated in any armed action will be integrated into civilian life.
Following that, the political process will start, which will require constructive contributions from political actors, civil society, media and intellectual circles. These contributions will directly affect the sustainability of the resolution process.
The last stage will be the legal regulations process in Parliament. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has already declared that he will ask all political parties to join the commission that will be formed within the assembly for the introduction of new regulations and for the preparation of a democratic constitution. New legal regulations related to the process may be brought to the agenda of Parliament.
Türkiye has been carrying out the process alone, and no third party is allowed to get involved in the process. The Iraqi central government and the KRG played only a facilitator role in the disarmament ceremony. Türkiye forced the PKK to lay down arms and discussed the process with the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), rather than with the PKK. All these steps are from the Turkish model for the resolution of terrorism.
