ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) dissolution announcement is a “significant step” towards ending decades of conflict, the German Consulate in Erbil told The New Region on Saturday.

“The PKK’s dissolution announcement is a significant step towards breaking the decades-long cycle of terror, violence and retaliation in Turkey and the region,” read a statement sent to The New Region by the consulate.

“Full implementation of the announcement, including PKK laying down its weapons, and a political process are now crucial,” the consulate added. “Any lasting solution requires respect for and protection of the cultural and democratic rights of Kurds in Turkey.”

The PKK on Monday published the results of its recent seminal congress, announcing that the group has decided to dissolve and disband, ending an insurgency that spanned over four decades, after months of negotiations.

The group’s decision was welcomed by the British Embassy in Baghdad last week.

“The decision by the PKK to disarm and disband is an important step towards peace and security for the people of Turkey and the wider region,” the diplomatic mission told The New Region, adding that the UK “continues to follow these developments closely.”

A proposal in October by Devlet Bahceli, head of the far-right Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), to allow jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to appear before the legislature and declare the dissolution of the PKK, set in motion the peace process which culminated in Monday’s historic declaration.

French diplomatic sources speaking to The New Region also welcomed the PKK self-dissolution.

“France hopes that the dissolution of the PKK will be effective and verifiable, that it will allow a definitive turning of the page on violence, and that it will lead to an inclusive political process based on democracy and the rule of law,” said the sources.

The PKK was an armed group that up until its disbandment in May 2025 claimed to fight for increased Kurdish rights in Turkey, predominantly engaging in armed struggle with Turkish forces from the mountainous borders of the Kurdish Region, Iraq, and Syria.

The group had long been recognized as a terrorist organization by Ankara, the US, and the European Union. It was also declared a banned organization by Iraq in 2024.

The recent major developments across Turkey’s political scene serve as a fresh breath of air to millions in Turkey and beyond—Turks and Kurds alike—who have endured decades upon decades of a bloody conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.