Kurdish PKK militants to hand over first weapons in ceremony in Iraq

 In a historic move toward peace, dozens of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants are set to lay down their weapons during a ceremony in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq, on Friday. The event marks a major symbolic step toward ending the PKK’s decades-long armed insurgency against the Turkish state. Around 40 fighters and a commander will surrender their arms, which are scheduled to be destroyed in a follow-up event attended by Turkish and Iraqi intelligence, the Kurdistan regional government, and senior officials from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party.

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The disarmament follows a May announcement by the PKK to disband and end its armed struggle, a decision influenced by an appeal from their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Since 1984, the PKK has been outlawed in Turkey and has waged an armed campaign that has claimed over 40,000 lives and deeply fractured Turkish society. Though prior peace efforts have failed, this new initiative, backed by political and intelligence stakeholders across borders, is raising hopes for a long-term resolution.

Ocalan, who is rarely heard from publicly, released a video on Wednesday urging the Turkish parliament to create a commission to supervise the disarmament and coordinate a wider peace process. The DEM party and Ocalan have stressed the need for legal guarantees and clear political mechanisms to integrate former PKK members into democratic politics, calling this essential to the success of the transition.

The Turkish government has responded cautiously but positively to the PKK’s plans to disarm. President Tayyip Erdogan has declared his support for the process and stated that his administration will not tolerate any efforts to derail it. “We will soon share historic good news with our people,” Erdogan said, suggesting that his government is preparing to formalize further steps toward peace. His party’s spokesman, Omer Celik, emphasized the need for the disarmament phase to be completed within a few months to avoid external interference or domestic unrest.

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Ankara has begun discussions on establishing a parliamentary commission to monitor the peace process, aligning with Ocalan’s proposal. This commission would oversee disarmament, transitional justice, and the potential political reintegration of former PKK members. Turkish intelligence and security services, in coordination with the Iraqi Kurdish authorities, are expected to play a key role in verifying the arms destruction and ensuring the process remains transparent.

The involvement of the DEM party has been pivotal in facilitating the PKK’s shift away from militancy. They have pressed the Turkish government to take Kurdish political demands seriously, including greater autonomy, cultural rights, and fair representation. While these issues remain sensitive, especially among Turkish nationalists, the process is being carefully managed to avoid public backlash or regional instability.

If successful, the disarmament could end one of the most entrenched insurgencies in the region. However, observers warn that without concrete political reforms and trust-building, the peace may prove short-lived. For now, the handover in Sulaymaniyah offers a moment of cautious optimism in a conflict that has lasted over four decades.

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