
Baghdad hails peace deal Turkey reached with PKK
Al-Sudani's remarks took place during a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which they discussed ties between the two countries, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The Iraqi prime minister confirmed that the peace agreement will help the region by promoting stability and development for its people.
Last May, the PKK announced its intention to disband and to cease military activities, bringing an end to four decades of conflict. The step took place after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, urged the party in February to formally dissolve and start disarmament.
After starting the process of handing over its weapons during a ceremony held in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah on Friday, the PKK said in a statement that the party handed over its weapons voluntarily in response to the adoption of legislation for democratic integration.
Turkey, the United States, and the European Union have all designated the PKK, which has fought for decades, as a terrorist group.
The party's decision to disband is an important milestone in regional geopolitics and could ease long-standing tensions, notably in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where PKK members remain.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Rudaw Net
2 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Suicide drone targets Erbil; no casualties
Also in Kurdistan Assyrian Christians trek to ancient church in Duhok Erbil university offers scholarship for international students Dutch photojournalist recording Kurdish history re-visits Kurdistan Halabja tomato farmers face mounting losses as prices fall A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An explosive-laden drone crashed in Erbil's western Khabat district on Monday morning, resulting in no casualties, Kurdish counterterrorism forces reported. 'On Monday morning at 05:50, an explosive-laden drone crashed in the Rizgari subdistrict of Khabat district in Erbil province,' said the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT. No casualties were reported. The Kurdistan Region has come under nearly 20 rocket and drone attacks in recent weeks, including strikes on its oil fields. The Kurdish government has blamed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) for the attacks - charges strongly denied as 'unacceptable' by Baghdad. The Khabat district is the site of the Kawergosk oil refinery, one of the largest in the Kurdistan Region, operated by the Iraqi-Kurdish oil company KAR Group. Footage submitted to Rudaw shows an explosive-laden drone that crashed in Erbil province's Khabat on Monday morning. — Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) July 28, 2025 The drone strikes have greatly reduced the Kurdistan Region's oil output, especially at a time when Kurdish oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline - halted since March 2023 - are on the brink of resumption. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, as well as several other international and local actors, have condemned the attacks. Baghdad has launched an investigation but has yet to announce the results, and last week's extraordinary Iraqi parliament session failed to discuss the matter after Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the sitting.


Iraq Business
6 hours ago
- Iraq Business
Iraq Opens Central Gas Processing Facility at Block 9
By John Lee. The Ministry of Oil has inaugurated the Central Gas Processing Facility at the Al-Faihaa [Fayhaa, Block 9] oil field in Basra, with a capacity of 130 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD). The launch was conducted via video link by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani. The Prime Minister praised the engineers and technical teams who contributed to the successful completion of this and other gas-related projects, which align with the government's strategy to reduce gas flaring, enhance oil sector development, diversify revenues, and protect the environment. Minister Abdul Ghani reiterated the Ministry's commitment to investing in associated gas from oil fields to drive industrial development and boost national economic returns through increased and diversified income streams. He emphasised that gas projects such as this are critical for ensuring a stable fuel supply for electricity generation. The inauguration was also attended by Oil Ministry Undersecretaries Basim Mohammed Khudair (Extraction Affairs) and Izzat Saber Ismail (Gas Affairs), the Director General of South Gas Company, and officials from Basra's local government and the broader oil sector. Al Faihaa field is also known as Block 9. According to Wood Mackenzie , it is an extension of Iran's giant Yadavaran field. In January 2022, Kuwait Energy Basra Limited (KE Basra), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based United Energy Group (UEG), entered into an EPCC (engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning) contract with a Chinese consortium to provide a central processing facility including oil treatment system and auxiliary systems at the field. The contractor was a consortium consisting of China CAMC Engineering and CNOOC Petrochemical Engineering. (Source: Ministry of Oil)


Iraq Business
6 hours ago
- Iraq Business
Iraq to produce 12GW of Solar Power by 2030
By John Lee. The Iraqi Oil Ministry's Undersecretary for Distribution Affairs, Ali Maarij, has said that Iraq aims to incorporate 12 Gigawatts (GW) of solar power into its energy mix by 2030, alongside intensified efforts to capture natural gas and reduce flaring. He made the comments at a ceremony to launch a major new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on the status and outlook of Iraq's energy transition. Maarij described the report as the result of close cooperation between the Iraqi government-represented by the Ministries of Oil and Electricity-and IRENA. He noted that it offers a comprehensive assessment of Iraq's current energy landscape, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities along the path to cleaner energy. For more details on the report click here. (Source: Ministry of Oil)