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الوسم: PKK

  • Kurdish PKK Fighters Declare Disarmament, Exit Turkey

    Kurdish PKK Fighters Declare Disarmament, Exit Turkey

    The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Sunday that it is pulling back from Turkey as part of a disarmament process coordinated with the government. This move is intended to pave the way for the group to enter the political arena. The PKK, which has been fighting against the Turkish government since 1984, decided in May to disarm and disband following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to end the armed conflict. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths.

    In July, the banned organization, classified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, symbolically destroyed some of its weapons as a gesture of good faith. During a ceremony in the Qandil Mountains, their stronghold in northern Iraq, the PKK stated it had decided to withdraw all fighters from Turkey to establish a foundation for a “free, democratic, and brotherly life.”

    The group emphasized that this move demonstrates its dedication to the disarmament and integration process. It called on the Turkish government to facilitate its transition into “democratic politics” through the passage of relevant laws. As a senior official read the statement aloud at the event, about two dozen PKK fighters stood in formation, with a large image of Ocalan displayed prominently in the background.

    “We are committed to implementing leader Ocalan’s peace plan,” PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa told Reuters from Qandil. “The Turkish side must now carry out political reforms and create a conducive environment for this project.”

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Burhanettin Duran, praised the announcement and expressed hope that it would lead to lasting peace and stability. “This is a positive step towards the PKK finally laying down its weapons in all its components,” Duran wrote on X.

    In recent years, the PKK has operated mainly from northern Iraq after being driven beyond Turkey’s southeastern borders. The Turkish military frequently targets PKK bases there and has established multiple outposts.

    Over time, the PKK’s objectives shifted from seeking outright independence to advocating for increased Kurdish rights and limited autonomy primarily in southeastern Turkey, where the Kurdish population is concentrated. Turkey claims to support Kurdish rights but insists that it will not tolerate any separatist efforts.

    If Turkey’s conflict with the PKK concludes successfully, it could have wider regional implications, particularly in neighboring Syria, where the U.S. allies with Kurdish forces that Ankara considers to be tied to the PKK.

  • Erdogan: PKK Disarmament Marks New Era for Turkey

    Erdogan: PKK Disarmament Marks New Era for Turkey

    Turkish President Erdogan Promotes Historic PKK Disarmament


    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets the audience before addressing the members of his ruling AK Party in Ankara on July 12, 2025. — Reuters

    • Erdogan celebrates PKK disarmament as a major milestone.
    • Calls on parliament to fully back the disarmament effort.
    • Thirty PKK fighters publicly destroy their weapons in northern Iraq.

    On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged complete support for the disarmament of Kurdish militants, following the initial transfer of weapons from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). He described this moment as a fresh chapter for Turkey.

    In a symbolic act, thirty PKK fighters set fire to their weapons in a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, marking a significant step toward ending a lengthy insurgency against Turkey.

    “As of yesterday, we are witnessing the start of the end of terrorism. Today signifies a new dawn; a new chapter in our history has begun. The path to a strong, united Turkey is wide open,” Erdogan declared to members of his AK Party in Ankara.

    He emphasized that recent developments have fostered unity within the nation, and he expressed hope that parliament would play an essential role in establishing a legal framework to finalize the disarmament.

    “I trust that our parliament will participate broadly to support this process,” Erdogan added.

    Ankara is working on establishing a parliamentary commission that would oversee the disarmament as well as the PKK’s transition into democratic governance.

    The PKK, which has been in conflict with the Turkish state since 1984, decided to disband and lay down its arms in May after a public call from its long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

    After numerous failed peace attempts, this new initiative holds the potential to resolve an insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives and created deep social and economic divisions in Turkey and beyond.

  • Kurdish PKK Militants Set Fire to Weapons for Disarmament in Iraq

    Kurdish PKK Militants Set Fire to Weapons for Disarmament in Iraq

    A PKK fighter participates in a disarmament ceremony in Sulaimaniya, Iraq, on July 11, 2025. — Reuters

    On Friday, thirty militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) set fire to their weapons at the entrance of a cave in northern Iraq, marking a crucial yet symbolic move towards ending a prolonged insurgency against Turkey.

    Video footage showed the fighters, half of whom were women, lining up to deposit AK-47 rifles, ammunition belts, and other firearms into a large gray cauldron. The flames consumed the weapons, which pointed skyward, while Kurdish, Iraqi, and Turkish officials observed the event from a distance.

    Since being banned in 1984, the PKK has been engaged in a fierce struggle against the Turkish state. However, in May, the group announced its decision to disband and disarm following a public appeal from their long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

    Amid a history of unsuccessful peace talks, this new effort could potentially clear the way for Ankara to resolve an insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives, strained the economy, and created severe social and political rifts within Turkey and its neighboring regions.

    President Tayyip Erdogan expressed optimism that the PKK’s disbandment would enhance Turkey’s security and promote regional stability. He remarked on X, “May God grant us success in achieving our objectives for the safety of our homeland, the peace of our people, and the establishment of lasting tranquility in our region.”

    The ceremony took place at the Jasana cave’s mouth, located in the town of Dukan, about 60 kilometers northwest of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

    The soldiers, dressed in beige military uniforms, were accompanied by four commanders, one of whom was a prominent PKK leader, Bese Hozat. She read a declaration in Turkish that announced the group’s decision to disarm.

    “In your presence, we voluntarily destroy our weapons as a gesture of goodwill and commitment,” she stated, before another commander translated the message into Kurdish.

    Helicopters flew overhead while numerous Iraqi Kurdish security forces secured the mountainous area, according to a witness from Reuters.

    The event attracted Turkish and Iraqi intelligence officials, representatives from Iraq’s Kurdistan regional government, and key members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party, who played a significant role in facilitating the PKK’s decision to disarm this year.

    The timeline for additional disarmament events remains unclear.

    A senior Turkish official indicated that the arms handover represents an “irreversible turning point” in the peace process, while another government source noted that subsequent actions would encompass the legal reintegration of PKK members into Turkish society, as well as initiatives aimed at community healing and reconciliation.

    Broader Implications

    The PKK has operated from northern Iraq after being forced well outside Turkey’s southeastern border in recent years. Turkish military forces regularly target PKK bases in that area and have established several military outposts.

    Peace between NATO-member Turkey and the PKK could have far-reaching implications across the region, including in neighboring Syria, where the U.S. collaborates with Syrian Kurdish groups that Ankara views as PKK affiliates.

    Both Washington and Ankara seek to have these Kurdish groups swiftly assimilate into Syria’s security framework, which has been undergoing changes since the fall of autocratic President Bashar al-Assad in December. Analysts suggest that PKK disarmament could intensify this pressure.

    All parties involved — including the PKK, DEM, and Ocalan — have urged Erdogan’s administration to address Kurdish demands for greater rights in areas where Kurds are the majority, particularly in southeastern Turkey, where the insurgency has been most concentrated.

    In a rare online video released on Wednesday, Ocalan, whose image was prominently displayed at the weapons ceremony, also called for the establishment of a parliamentary commission to manage disarmament and the larger peace initiative.

    While Ankara has initiated moves toward forming this commission, both the DEM and Ocalan have stated that legal guarantees and various mechanisms are essential for facilitating the PKK’s transition to democratic politics.

    Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan’s AK Party, remarked that the ceremony represented an initial step towards complete disarmament and a “terror-free Turkey,” emphasizing the necessity to finalize this process “in a timely manner.”

    Erdogan has asserted that disarmament will enable the reconstruction of southeastern Turkey. Over the past fifty years, Turkey has invested nearly $1.8 trillion in combating terrorism, as noted by Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek.

  • PKK Disbands, Marking the End of Turkey’s Kurdish Insurgency

    PKK Disbands, Marking the End of Turkey’s Kurdish Insurgency

    A protester displays an image of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on February 27, 2025. —Reuters

    • The PKK has been in conflict with the Turkish government for over 40 years.
    • Ocalan called for the group’s disbandment in February.
    • Over 40,000 lives have been lost in this conflict.

    The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state for more than 40 years, has announced its dissolution, signaling an end to its armed activities, according to a news agency affiliated with the organization.

    This decision by the PKK is expected to have significant political and security implications for the region, particularly in neighboring Syria, where Kurdish forces collaborate with U.S. military personnel.

    The Firat news agency reported on the closure declaration from the PKK’s recent congress held in northern Iraq, which took place in response to a disbandment appeal made by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in February.

    The statement issued by the PKK post-congress declared, “The 12th PKK Congress has resolved to disband the organizational structure of the PKK and put an end to its armed struggle.”

    Officials from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office and the foreign ministry did not provide immediate comments on this announcement.

    Since the PKK initiated its insurgency in 1984, more than 40,000 individuals have lost their lives in the conflict, which Turkey and its allies classify as terrorism.