PKK begins laying down weapons in northern Iraq

ANKARA

PKK began laying down its weapons in a symbolic ceremony on July 11 in northern Iraq, the first concrete step toward a promised disarmament, as part of the government's "terror-free Türkiye" initiative.

Outside a cave, a group of 30 PKK members, both men and women, gathered on a stage in front of an audience of around 300 people.

One by one, they walked down to lay their weapons in a pit which was then set on fire. Most were rifles but there was one machine gun and one rocket-propelled grenade.

The terror group announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict. The move came after jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan urged his organization in February to convene a congress and formally disband.

PKK issued a statement from members laying down their weapons, saying that they had disarmed “as a gesture of goodwill and a commitment to the practical success” of the peace bid.

“We will henceforth continue our struggle for freedom, democracy and socialism through democratic politics and legal means,” read the statement.

The ceremony took place in the mountains outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. Reports said the process will "take place in stages, with a group of party members initially laying down their weapons symbolically.” The disarmament process is expected to be completed by September, according to local media.

A senior Turkish official described the ceremony as a “milestone of the third stage” in a five-phase peace process. The official said Türkiye remained committed to peace, stability and reconciliation.

The first phase was the political initiative launched by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, followed by Öcalan’s message in February urging PKK to abandon the armed conflict, according to the official.

The next two steps would focus on legal reintegration of PKK members and long-term healing and reconciliation efforts, the official added.

PKK has long maintained bases in the mountains of northern Iraq, where Turkish forces have launched offensives and airstrikes and have set up bases in the area. Last year, Iraq’s government announced an official ban on the terror group.

The disarmament process comes amid a series of meetings facilitated by the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has reestablished contact with Öcalan through multiple visits to the İmralı prison island off Istanbul.

DEM Party MPs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar met with Öcalan on July 6 and later held a closed-door meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 7. The president later described the talks as "constructive and sincere."

The DEM Party delegation is scheduled to continue its outreach by meeting with Bahçeli and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel.

PKK is listed a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.

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