After four decades of armed insurgency for an independent Kurdish state, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has officially declared its dissolution. In a statement, the PKK announced an end to all military operations, saying, “It is time to redefine Turkish-Kurdish relations. From now on, Kurdish political parties will take responsibility for establishing democracy and forming a democratic Kurdish nation. The PKK has completed its historic mission.” The move marks the end of a bloody conflict that claimed over 40,000 lives. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned for life in Turkey since 1999, remains a central figure in the Kurdish nationalist movement.