Rally for freedom of Abdullah Ocalan, -jailed Leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

A Kurdish boy holds a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as they shout slogans during the rally for freedom of Abdullah Ocalan, in DIyarbakir, Turkey, 28 June 2026.
Turkey's peace process with the PKK has undergone historic developments over the past two years, initiated by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli's October 2024 invitation for imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to address the Parliament to declare the group's dissolution. Following this political push, Öcalan issued a landmark message on Feb. 27, 2025, calling on the militant organization to disarm and disband.
Acting on the directive, the PKK officially declared its dissolution in May 2025. In a highly symbolic and concrete step in October 2025, the group publicly burned its weapons stockpiles and announced the complete withdrawal of its armed forces from Turkish territory, crossing the border out of the country.
Concurrently, the Turkish Parliament has been actively working to institutionalize the "Terror-Free Turkey" initiative. Lawmakers established a special commission to oversee the transition, and a parliamentary delegation traveled to İmralı Island in Nov. 2025 for a three-hour meeting with Öcalan to discuss the roadmap. As of 2026, parliamentary committees continue their legislative work to finalize the legal and political frameworks of the peace process.