PKK disarmament expected to take months to complete
In a statement to NTV, a Turkish news channel, Celik explained that the arms handover process will be overseen by a confirmation mechanism comprised of Turkish intelligence and military forces officers, according to Reuters.
The disarmament process in Iraq must be finished within three to five months. If it surpasses this time frame, it will become vulnerable to provocations, according to Celik.
Last week, the PKK declared that its fighters in northern Iraq will begin giving over their weapons.
According to a statement released by the PKK, a group of militants will leave the mountains and surrender their weapons in an attempt to demonstrate their support for democratic politics and peace.
The statement mentioned that a ceremony scheduled between July 10 and 12 in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq will mark the first tangible step toward disarmament.
The PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkey earlier in 2025 in response to a call from its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who is presently serving a life sentence, to dismantle and disarm the organization.
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 Iraq's Kurdistan region, where PKK members remain.
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