Kurdish Fighters Begin Disarming in Northern Iraq as Peace Process Moves Forward

Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey, began laying down their weapons Friday in a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq, according to a report published by The Associated Press. 

A Historic Step Toward Peace

This marks the first concrete action toward the group’s promised disarmament, part of a peace effort that could end over 40 years of conflict.

PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned since 1999, had made an appeal for disarmament in February, encouraging his group to disband and renounce violence. In a recent video message, he said, “I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons,”  as reported by the AP.

Support from Turkish Officials

Turkey’s nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli, who helped initiate the peace process, welcomed the development, reportedly saying, “Starting today, members of the separatist terrorist organiSation have begun surrendering their weapons in groups, marking historic developments that signal the end of a dark era.” “These are exceptionally important days for both Turkey and our region,” Bahceli said in a statement, per the AP.

Bahceli, who had traditionally taken a hardline approach toward the PKK, had in October suggested Öcalan might be granted parole if the PKK gave up violence.

The Ceremony and Next Steps

According to the report, the event took place near Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. About 30 PKK fighters participated in the ceremony, Iraqi Kurdish official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Representatives from Turkish intelligence, the Kurdish regional government, and Kurdish political parties from both Iraq and Turkey attended, the report said.

The Iraqi News Agency had reported the disarmament would happen in stages and expects the process to finish by September. 

PKK Conditions for Continued Disarmament

PKK leaders say they want Turkey to ease the strict isolation imposed on Öcalan and support the political integration of former militants before moving further. The group’s bases in northern Iraq have long been targeted by Turkish military operations, forcing many villages to evacuate.

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