PKK Begins Disarmament in Historic Step Toward Peace, Erdogan Declares “New Page in History”Ankara/Sulaymaniyah

, July 12, 2025 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hailed the symbolic disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a turning point in the country’s decades-long struggle against insurgency, declaring that “a new page in history” has been opened.
The PKK, which has waged an armed campaign against the Turkish state since 1984, held a ceremonial event on Friday in northern Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province, where 30 fighters — both men and women — cast their weapons into a blazing cauldron near the Jasana cave. The act marked the first concrete step in a staged disarmament process expected to conclude by September.
Speaking at a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Saturday, Erdogan celebrated the moment as a national victory. “Turkey has won, my nation has won. Every single one of our 86 million citizens — Turkish, Kurdish, and Arab — has won,” he said.
The disarmament follows a public call in February by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who urged the group to convene a congress and formally renounce armed conflict. In May, the PKK announced its intention to disband and pursue its goals through democratic and legal means.
“As of yesterday, the 47-year scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending,” Erdogan declared. “Turkey began to close a long, painful and tear-filled chapter”.
The PKK issued a statement from the fighters involved in Friday’s ceremony, describing the disarmament as “a gesture of goodwill and a commitment to the practical success” of the peace process. “We will henceforth continue our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and legal means,” the statement read.
Erdogan emphasized that the peace initiative was not the result of negotiation but a unilateral move by the PKK. He announced plans to form a parliamentary commission to oversee the disarmament and transition process, calling on lawmakers to support the effort with “broad participation”.
The PKK’s insurgency has claimed more than 40,000 lives and deeply affected Turkish society and politics. Analysts say the group’s decision to disarm could pave the way for reconciliation and greater Kurdish political inclusion.
International reactions have been cautiously optimistic. France’s foreign ministry welcomed the ceremony, expressing hope that the PKK’s dissolution would be “effective and verifiable” and lead to an inclusive political process.
As Turkey moves into this new phase, the disarmament marks a rare moment of unity and hope in a region long scarred by conflict.