The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has taken the initial steps towards disarmament, signaling the closure of a violent chapter spanning over four decades against the Turkish state, which has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths.
Friday witnessed a small but significant ceremony in Sulaimaniyah, located in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, where 20 to 30 PKK fighters purposefully dismantled their weapons, choosing destruction over surrender to any governing power or authority.
This poignant symbolic gesture was conducted under tight security and is poised to gradually unfold over the summer.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wholeheartedly celebrated the recent development, passionately describing it as the act of ‘ripping off and casting away the bloody shackles imposed on our nation’s legs.’ He firmly stated that this transformative move would benefit not only Turkiye but also the entire region.
This significant shift follows a declaration made in May by the PKK that it would relinquish its armed struggle.
Historically, the PKK has been commonly labeled as a ‘terrorist’ organization by Turkiye, the European Union, and the United States.
From 1984 to 2024, more than 40,000 lives were lost due to the conflict, with thousands of Kurds escaping the violence in southeastern Turkiye by moving to cities further north.