PKK has completed its "historic mission", it says in a statement. This marks the end of the armed struggle against the Turkish state, which has raged for over 40 years and claimed around 45,000 lives.
The struggle to develop Kurdish democracy and permanent peace will henceforth be handled by political parties, organizations, and opinion leaders, according to PKK.
The announcement comes after the movement, which has been in conflict with Turkey's regime for decades, held a congress last week. During the congress, "historic decisions were made, marking the entry into a new era for our freedom movement", writes PKK in a statement.
PKK's founder Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in Turkey for over 25 years, called on the movement in February this year to dissolve. Öcalan's appeal was met with partial skepticism and confusion from Kurdish quarters.
"We have full confidence that our people will understand the decision to dissolve PKK and end the armed struggle", writes the movement now.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded in 1978 as a Marxist party.
The movement's goal was a Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey and adjacent parts of neighboring countries. Kurds make up around 20 percent of Turkey's 85 million inhabitants.
In 1984, PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in the struggle for independence.
PKK is labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the USA.
Turkey has, among other things, put forward demands for tougher measures against PKK in Sweden in order to approve Sweden's NATO membership.
