Öcalan’s call for disarmament: A new hope for Kurdish peace

On February 27, Abdullah Öcalan, founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), called for the PKK to disarm and dissolve. This announcement, supported by various Kurdish leaders in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has instilled a sense of hope for peace amid a long-standing conflict that has claimed countless lives and caused enduring regional instability. Yet, while the streets of Sulaymaniyah, Qamishlo, Diyarbakir, and Van have erupted in celebration, the path forward is fraught with obstacles that could derail this new opportunity.