CNN
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A small number of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) extremists abandoned their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday. This is a small but very iconic gesture that marks the beginning of the end of a conflict with the Turkish state that lasted nearly 50 years and cost thousands of lives.
Politicians and observers gathered for a ceremony held in the ancient caves of Casene near the town of Suleimania. There, about 30 men and women from the extremist group placed their weapons in a large cauldron that was later set on fire.
The PKK fighters announced in a statement its intention to continue the “struggle for freedom” through “democratic politics and legal means.”
“We will destroy our weapons of our own free will and in your presence,” the statement said.
The Turkish news channel reported breathlessly at the ceremony, but no journalists entered the area except for a small group of invited observers. Turkish channels showed helicopters flying over the cave where the ceremony was expected to take place. A convoy with white pickups and black vans was seen driving through the area.
A Turkish official said Friday’s move was a “irreversible turning point” and described it as a “milestone.”
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan called the day’s events a “significant step” on the “path to the terrorist-free turkey goal.”
“Although Almighty God may have succeeded in achieving our goals on this path, we will walk for the security of our nation, the peace of our nation, and the establishment of lasting peace in our region,” he said in a post in X.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also welcomed the announcement of the PKK, writing that it “sees this step as an important development that embodies a concrete beginning towards disarmament.”
In May, the PKK, listed as a terrorist group in Turkey, the US and European Union, announced that it would stop “all activities” and break up after a call from imprisoned leader Abdullah Okaran. The Kurdish issues will “become resolved through democratic politics,” the PKK said in a statement at the time.
In a rare video statement this week, the leader urged the Turkish Parliament to establish a committee to administer the broader peace process.
Founded by Okaran in 1978, the PKK has been fighting wars with the Turkish state for decades.
The group initially fought against independent states in Türkiye, primarily in the southeastern Kurdish population. However, in recent years, they have instead sought more autonomy and more inclusive cultural rights within the country.
This is not the first time Erdogan has tried to end a conflict. It is estimated that it killed more than 40,000 people.
He was tried for Kurdish votes in early years by giving them more rights and reversing restrictions on their language use.
In 2013, Erdogan worked with the Kurdish Democrats on a brief peace process with the PKK.
These talks collapsed in 2015, leading to crackdowns on the pro-Kurdish party, accused by the Turkish government of having ties with the PKK and its affiliates.
Serahatin DeMirtas, a popular Kurdish politician and Democratic co-leader who ran as a popular presidential candidate, has remained in prison after being detained in 2016 and charged with “ambiguous and widespread accusations” including “harming national unity and territorial integrity.”
According to the Minority Rights Group International, Kurds are Türkiye’s largest minority, accounting for 15% to 20% of the population. They also have a large presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran.
