After decades of fighting, 30 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants gathered in Iraqi Kurdistan on Friday to publicly destroy their arms, signaling an end to their long-running engagement with the Turkish state. At a symbolic event near the ancient Jasana cave, they laid down and burned their rifles, a machine gun and a rocket‑propelled grenade, witnessed by around 300 people, The Turkish Minute reports.
The ceremony represents a milestone in the PKK’s evolution from armed resistance to democratic engagement, aiming to conclusively close a chapter in one of the Middle East’s most persistent conflicts. Analysts suggest that the group’s weakened military position made this disarmament a pragmatic strategy, while offering Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a narrative of victory over a decades‑old insurgency.
Under the open sky, male and female fighters in khaki fatigues stepped forward one by one to place their weapons into a pit, which was then set alight. Observers responded with both cheers and tears.
“In order to ensure the practical success of the ‘peace and democratic society’ process… we voluntarily destroy our weapons as a step of goodwill and determination,” read a PKK statement. “We wish that this step will bring about peace and freedom.”
Ankara welcomed the gesture as an “irreversible turning point” toward peace. “The laying down of arms by PKK militants in Sulaimaniyah — a milestone of the third stage of the ongoing disarmament and decommissioning process — marks a concrete and welcome step,” stated a senior Turkish official. “We view this development as an irreversible turning point.”
This highly anticipated ceremony followed months of indirect negotiations between imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan and Turkish authorities, which began in October with President Erdoğan’s endorsement and were brokered by Turkey’s pro‑Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
The PKK first took up arms in 1984, launching a wave of attacks in Turkey that eventually resulted in more than 40,000 deaths. In May, the organization announced its dissolution and commitment to democratic struggle in defense of Kurdish rights, following Öcalan’s historic appeal. Öcalan, imprisoned since 1999, has called for a rapid and “swift” disarmament.
Tensions flared before the ceremony when two drones were shot down overnight near Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga bases in Sulaimaniyah and Kirkuk. No casualties were reported, and it was unclear who was responsible.
The ceremony took place at Jasana cave, a location once known for its Kurdish printing press, where delegates from Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani, veteran leader Masoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were present. Officials from Turkish intelligence, DEM Party lawmakers and media also attended.
“I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice,” Öcalan said this week, reiterating that the disarmament would be executed “swiftly.” Erdogan also commented over the weekend that peace initiatives with the Kurds would gain further traction now that the PKK has begun relinquishing its arms. Since February 27, Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement on İmralı island, and on May 12 the PKK formally announced its dissolution.
