PKK lays down weapons in ceremony, first step to peace with Turkey

This article was last updated on July 11, 2025

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PKK lays down weapons in ceremony, first step to peace with Turkey

A few dozen fighters from the Kurdish militant movement PKK submitted their weapons in a ceremony in the north of Iraq and set a part on fire. It is a symbolic first step in the disarmament process of the organization, after four decades of armed uprising against the Turkish state.

According to a high -ranking Turkish official, the ceremony in the city of Suleymaniyah marks an “irrevocable turning point” in the peace process with the PKK. This may make the road free for new peace negotiations with the Turkish government. The disarmament process must be completed in September.

In May, the PKK, which is seen as a terror organization by, among others, the EU and the US, decided lift And to lay down the weapons. That happened after a new peace initiative with Turkey. According to the PKK, an armed fight against Turkey is no longer necessary, because it is possible to fight for Kurdish rights through democratic roads.

Message from Öcalan

The PKK initially fought for an independent Kurdistan, but later focused more on more rights and autonomy for the Kurdish population. Over the past forty years, more than 40,000 people have been killed in the battle between the PKK and the Turkish army.

PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan had called on his supporters from prison in February to lay down the weapons. This week, Öcalan appeared in a First public video Since his arrest in 1999. In it he repeated the call of February to put down the weapons, because according to him the main objective of the Kurds had been achieved. Whether Öcalan will be released is the question.