The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Monday the conclusion of its 12th congress, during which it formally declared the end of its armed struggle and the dissolution of its organizational structure.

"The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle," the group said in an official statement.

The congress, which the PKK described as “held under the leadership of Leader Apo,” decided to terminate the party's formal structure and cease all activities conducted in its name.

The statement noted that the congress was convened between May 5 and 7 across two locations in the Medya Defense Zones, with 232 delegates in attendance.

Calling for broad political engagement, the PKK urged the Turkish government, opposition parties, parliamentary groups, and civil society organizations to assume what it described as their “historical responsibility” in supporting a democratic peace process.

Commenting on the developments inside Turkey, the PKK emphasized that "the implementation of these decisions requires leadership and direction, as well as the recognition of political rights and proper legal guarantees.”

The group also declared that it had put an end to “the policy of denial and marginalization” of the Kurdish issue and claimed to have advanced it toward resolution through peaceful and democratic means.

“We have full confidence in our people, who understand better than anyone else the decision to dissolve the PKK and end the armed struggle, and who will take responsibility in the new stage of democratic struggle,” the statement added.

The congress also honored two of the party’s founding figures, Ali Haydar Kaytan and Reza Altun, both of whom passed away in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The congress itself was described by the PKK as “historic,” reportedly convened in response to a call by Abdullah Ocalan, the group’s imprisoned leader. The event began with tributes to Ocalan and evaluations of his political proposals.

In a message sent from Imrali Prison in February, Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress and formally dissolve, calling for a transition from armed resistance to a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue. In that message, titled “Call for Peace and Democratic Society,” Ocalan stated that “the need for a democratic society is inevitable,” adding that only through democracy could different segments of society achieve self-expression, respect for identities, and genuine political representation.