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Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
The end of PKK's armed struggle?
Thirty fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) burned their weapons at the mouth of a cave in northern Iraq on July 11, 2025 rather than surrender them to Turkish authorities in a symbolic step towards ending a decades-long insurgency. Half the fighters were women, including their commander Bese Hozat, who read out a statement declaring the group's decision to disarm. The PKK ranks are a reflection of the its success in mobilising women for the armed struggle and giving them command responsibilities. Further handovers (burning?) of weapons is expected, but there is no confirmation when and where so far. After the burning ceremony, the fighters were to return to the mountains. The symbolic surrender process was expected to unfold throughout the summer. The PKK, on its incarcerated and kept in solitary confinement since 1999 leader Abdullah Ocalan's call, decided in May 2025 to dissolve itself and switch to open parliamentary politics. Thus seems to have come to a close the PKK's armed struggle since 1978 for, at a minimum, Kurdish linguistic, cultural and political rights (autonomy) within Turkiye, and at a maximum, secession and an independent Kurdish state. The conflict cost over 40,000 lives, burdened the economy and engendered deep social and political divisions. PKK's ideology was originally a fusion of revolutionary socialism, Marxism-Leninism and Kurdish nationalism. Turkiye over the years has consistently carried out military suppression campaigns, banned PKK in 1984, abducted Abdullah Ocalan from abroad in 1999 and kept him in solitary confinement since in an island prison in the Sea of Marmara. Of late, indirect negotiations between the Turkish authorities and Ocalan finally yielded the disarmament/dissolution decision by PKK. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the development, hoping it would lead to peace and security in the country. Despite his optimism, the road ahead appears uncertain, since there is little or no news about what the PKK has been offered in return for its decision to disarm/dissolve. PKK's demands include the release of Abdullah Ocalan. The portents are not good if the statement of Turkish officials engaged in the negotiations are taken note of. They display no intention to offer any concessions on even the minimum Kurdish demands such as linguistic, cultural and political rights. What then, it may be asked, will the Kurds get in exchange for disarming? It seems obvious that the (long standing) failure to offer even autonomy carries the seeds of renewed conflict. For as long as the Turkish post-Kemalist state has been in existence, the Kurds were denied use of their own language, culture, identity and autonomy in the name of the supposed advantages of a unified, centralised state. (The Kurds were disparagingly referred to as 'Mountain Turks'.) Erdogan's long stint in power yielded some cultural concessions, but these proved insufficient to quell Kurdish alienation. Military campaigns against the Kurds in southeastern Turkey led to PKK fighters seeking and obtaining safe havens in northern Iraq, a semi-autonomous Kurd region within that country. PKK controls hundreds of villages in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkey's forays across the border to attack the PKK safe havens intensified in recent years with Ankara establishing outposts across the border and frequently attacking PKK positions. This produced tensions between Iraqi Kurds and the PKK, blamed for bringing the war to the doorstep of the former. It was after the shift in Iraq's posture in April 2024, when it banned the PKK following high level security meetings between Iraqi and Turkish officials that the PKK's safe havens were rendered no longer safe. The combination of military difficulties in this situation and the indirect negotiations between the Turkish authorities and Ocalan finally produced the current turnaround. With the PKK weakened and the Kurdish people exhausted, and no end in sight to the seemingly endless war, Ocalan's PKK finally swallowed the bitter pill. This was reflected in the crowds attending the surrendered arms burning, with both cheering and weeping in evidence. The Kurds, divided between four countries, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, have suffered an unfortunate history. Mullah Mustafa Barzani's armed struggle for autonomy or independence for Iraqi Kurdistan in the 1960s was eventually defeated and he sought sanctuary in the Soviet Union. (His son currently heads the Iraqi Kurdistan semi-autonomous region.) Iran's Kurds' uprising after the 1979 Iranian revolution was brutally crushed. The Syrian Kurds joined hands with the US to combat Islamic State and other extremist religious groups in the country's civil war. Now the Turkish Kurds, having given up the armed struggle without any evident reward in return, contemplate an uncertain future, given Turkey's past record and current disposition. The lesson to be learnt is that in any multi-ethnic, multi-national state not prepared to concede autonomy reflected in linguistic, cultural, economic and political rights to its minority nationalities, more often than not ends up with long and seemingly unending avoidable conflict to its own cost. Such conflicts, as they drag on, radically escalate from the demand for autonomy to breakaway independence, successful in this endeavour or not. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
PKK disarms in blaze of weapons: Region hails new path to peace
Shafaq News On Friday, July 11, a dramatic scene unfolded on a secluded hillside outside al-Sulaymaniyah, in Iraq's northern Kurdistan Region, where dozens of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters staged a rare public disarmament ceremony. Marching in silence, each guerrilla laid down an AK-47, sidearm, or bandolier into a grey iron cauldron before stepping back. As the pile of weapons grew shoulder-high, attendants doused it in fuel and set it ablaze, sending flames and thick black smoke skyward in a powerful symbolic act. Four senior PKK commanders watched from a raised platform, led by Bese Hozat, co-chair of the Kurdistan Community Union (KCK) and the group's most senior figure to appear publicly since its March truce declaration. Reading in Turkish, Hozat declared, 'The era of armed struggle is over,' and pledged to address the Kurdish question through 'democratic, civilian means,' calling for dialogue grounded in 'justice, freedom, and mutual respect.' The event's choreography reflected its political weight. Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and al-Sulaymaniyah Province stood alongside delegates from Iraq's National Intelligence Service (INIS). Turkiye dispatched senior officers from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security. Three lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, which has helped mediate between Ankara and the PKK, also attended. Yet, not all voices made it to the hillside. Originally open to civil society figures and local leaders, the invitation list was abruptly trimmed the night before due to 'deteriorating security conditions.' The ceremony ended with a moment of silence for 'all martyrs of the Kurdish struggle.' The fighters regrouped, saluted their commanders, and boarded unmarked buses headed for the Qandil Mountains, as Iraqi police secured the site. Soon after, Mola Nader of the Group for Peace and Democratic Society confirmed to Shafaq News that the fighters had returned to Jasana Mountain. He urged Turkiye to issue a general amnesty and embrace constitutional reforms ensuring inclusive citizenship. A statement from the group credited PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan and the party's 12th congress for guiding the shift, reaffirming a commitment to achieving 'freedom, democracy, and socialism' through peaceful means. It warned that the Middle East is descending into bloodshed and called on regional and global actors to respect Kurdish rights and support democratic transformation through education, grassroots organization, and political reform. This unprecedented event came just two months after the PKK officially announced its dissolution on May 12, ending a 47-year armed campaign that claimed more than 40,000 lives. Kurdistan Throws Weight Behind Peace Kurdistan's top political figures moved quickly to endorse the shift. Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Masoud Barzani, meeting with a delegation from Turkiye's Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at the Saladin Resort, described the disarmament as 'significant and moving in the right direction.' Stressing that 'ten years of dialogue outweigh one hour of war,' he urged all Kurdish parties to support the peace process and emphasized that political struggle, not violence, is the path forward. President Nechirvan Barzani echoed this support, calling the ceremony 'an encouraging step' and a meaningful show of political intent. While symbolic, he stressed, the gesture could open a new phase of dialogue and cooperation. He reaffirmed the Kurdistan Region's full commitment to supporting peace efforts and carrying any responsibilities required to sustain them. Amid regional volatility, Barzani offered a clear message: 'Peace makes us brothers,' he stated, affirming that success in the process would benefit Turkiye, Kurdistan, and the region at large. He also thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his leadership and extended respect to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahceli, Ocalan, and all individuals contributing to the process. Baghdad Welcomes 'Milestone' in PKK Disarmament From Baghdad, Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs framed the ceremony as 'an important milestone' and 'a real opportunity' for reconciliation. It praised the move as a practical beginning to end decades of armed conflict and encouraged renewed efforts toward peaceful coexistence. Iraq emphasized that this step could reduce tensions, strengthen cooperation with Turkiye, and lay the groundwork for a wider regional dialogue—one that confronts the roots of conflict and builds long-term stability while respecting mutual sovereignty. A Greater Turkiye in Sight In Ankara, President Erdogan welcomed the PKK's disarmament as the dawn of a new era and thanked both Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region for their role in the process. Addressing supporters, he estimated that the conflict had claimed nearly 10,000 Turkish soldiers and cost Turkiye around $2 trillion. 'The 47-year plague of terrorism has entered its final stage,' he declared. 'Today marks a new beginning and opens the doors to a stronger, greater Turkiye.' The Turkish president further stressed that unity was key to progress: 'When hearts unite, borders disappear.' As part of the next steps, Erdogan announced plans to form a parliamentary committee to begin discussing the legal framework needed to advance the handover of weapons. 'This phase demands sensitivity, and we will closely monitor the process.' Others in Ankara echoed the sentiment. Bahceli called it a key moment in ending 'separatist violence.' Justice and Development Party (AKP) Spokesperson Omer Celik described the ceremony as the first step in a broader disarmament effort and called for rapid implementation to achieve a 'future free from terrorism.' Still, not everyone was convinced. Some voices warned the move might be largely symbolic, pointing to the possibility that the PKK still retains weapons in remote strongholds. Without transparency or independent oversight, they cautioned, the ceremony could fall short of a genuine end to military operations. Wave of Attacks Preceded PKK Peace Gesture In the weeks leading up to the al-Sulaymaniyah event, Turkish military operations across Iraqi Kurdistan showed no signs of slowing. According to the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), 550 Turkish attacks were recorded between June 1 and June 30, including 525 artillery shellings and 25 airstrikes. Operations were concentrated—98%—in Duhok province, particularly the Al-Amadiya district, with only nine shellings recorded in Sidakan, Erbil Province. Although the monthly increase in strikes was modest—up 8% from May—overall activity remains above pre-ceasefire levels. Analysts attribute the focus to Ankara's effort to establish a buffer zone devoid of PKK presence near the border. The PKK, for its part, launched four suicide drone attacks on Turkish bases in Sgire on June 16 and 24, describing them as defensive actions. Since January, 1,678 Turkish military strikes have been recorded across the Kurdistan Region: 1,484 in Duhok, 140 in Erbil, and 54 in al-Sulaymaniyah. The violence has claimed three civilian lives and left six others injured, casting a long shadow over the symbolic gestures unfolding just weeks later.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
PKK disarmament opens ‘new page in history' for Turkiye, Erdogan says
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the country has begun a new era as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) began to disarm after a four-decade armed conflict that killed more than 40,000 people. In an address to his party, Justice and Development (AKP), Erdogan said on Saturday that the 'scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending'. 'Decades of sorrow, tears and distress came to an end. Turkiye turned that page as of yesterday,' Erdogan said. 'Today is a new day; a new page has opened in history. Today, the doors of a great, powerful Turkiye have been flung wide open,' the president added. In a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, 30 PKK members burned their weapons, marking a hugely symbolic step towards ending their armed campaign against Friday's ceremony, senior PKK figure Bese Hozat read out a statement at the Jasana cave in the town of Dukan, 60 km (37 miles) northwest of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish of Iraq's north, announcing the group's decision to disarm. 'We voluntarily destroy our weapons, in your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination,' she said. Since 1984, the PKK has been locked in armed conflict with the Turkish state and decided in May to disarm and disband after a public call from the group's long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan said in a video earlier this week, which was recorded in June by the groups affiliated with Firat News Agency, that the move to disarm was a ' voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law' calling it a 'historic gain'. Further disarmament is expected to take place at a designated locations, which involves the coordination between Turkiye, Iraq and the Kurdish regional government in Iraq.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
PKK disarmament opens ‘new page in history' for Turkiye, Erdogan says
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the country has begun a new era as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) began to disarm after a four-decade armed conflict that killed more than 40,000 people. In an address to his party, Justice and Development (AKP), Erdogan said on Saturday that the 'scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending'. 'Decades of sorrow, tears and distress came to an end. Turkiye turned that page as of yesterday,' Erdogan said. 'Today is a new day; a new page has opened in history. Today, the doors of a great, powerful Turkiye have been flung wide open,' the president added. In a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, 30 PKK members burned their weapons, marking a hugely symbolic step towards ending their armed campaign against Turkiye. During Friday's ceremony, senior PKK figure Bese Hozat read out a statement at the Jasana cave in the town of Dukan, 60 km (37 miles) northwest of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish of Iraq's north, announcing the group's decision to disarm. 'We voluntarily destroy our weapons, in your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination,' she said. Since 1984, the PKK has been locked in armed conflict with the Turkish state and decided in May to disarm and disband after a public call from the group's long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan said in a video earlier this week, which was recorded in June by the groups affiliated with Firat News Agency, that the move to disarm was a ' voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law' calling it a 'historic gain'. Further disarmament is expected to take place at a designated locations, which involves the coordination between Turkiye, Iraq and the Kurdish regional government in Iraq.
Roya News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
PHOTOS: Historic disarmament: Kurdish PKK-affiliated group surrenders weapons
After nearly five decades of armed insurgency, a faction affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has symbolically surrendered its weapons, initiating a process expected to see all elements lay down their arms within the next three to five months. This pivotal step comes in direct response to a call from the PKK's imprisoned historical leader, Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in Turkey. The "Peace and Democratic Society Group," comprising approximately 30 armed individuals, chose the historic Sajnha Cave in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for the disarmament ceremony. The event was led by prominent PKK figures Bese Hozat and Nedim Seven. The group handed over a cache of weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, sniper rifles, automatic machine guns, and pistols, to representatives of Turkish and Iraqi security agencies. The surrendered weapons were placed in special containers and subsequently destroyed by burning. Reports indicate that media access to the cave ceremony was limited, with only representatives from the PKK's own media and official Turkish institutions present. Other journalists gathered at a distant hotel in the Dukan tourist resort to cover a recorded broadcast of the event on a large screen. In a speech delivered in both Turkish and Kurdish, Bese Hozat, a figure on Turkey's most-wanted list, stated, "We are destroying our weapons before you, by our free will, and on the basis of enacting democratic integration laws." Local media in the Kurdistan Region noted that Hozat's rare public appearance added significant political weight to the event. While some Kurdish media claimed Mustafa Karasu, another key PKK figure, also surrendered his weapon, sources close to the PKK and attendees denied his participation. Historical significance of the cave The choice of Sajnha Cave for the ceremony carried profound historical symbolism for the Kurdish community. It was to this cave that Mahmud Barzanji, a Kurdish political leader known as the "King of Kurdistan," had sought refuge after areas in Sulaymaniyah came under attack by British Royal Air Force aircraft in 1923. From this very cave, Barzanji, later exiled to India, issued "Bang-i Haq," the first newspaper speaking for his government, before becoming the ruler of Southern Kurdistan. During the 1980s and 1990s, the cave also gained strategic importance for Kurdish Peshmerga forces, serving as a vital refuge during the years of rebellion against Saddam Hussein's regime in the regions of Surdash, Dukan, and the Pira Magrun mountain range. Ceremony details, attendees The ceremony was held at 12:00 PM (GMT+2) with the presence of security forces affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a party with strong influence in Sulaymaniyah. PUK forces oversaw the transfer of PKK fighters from their base in Qandil to the cave area and ensured their return after the ceremony. Representatives from Turkish intelligence and security agencies also attended, alongside politicians and parliamentarians from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). Among them were veteran politician Ahmet Türk, the ousted Mayor of Mardin, and Sezai Temelli, the Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader for the DEM Party. Both Türk and Temelli had participated in visits to Öcalan in İmralı prison, with Türk being part of the delegation that attended Öcalan's "Peace and Democratic Society" call on February 27, and Temelli joining the delegation after the passing of MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder in April. Öcalan's Call, PKK's Statement In a statement released concurrently with the ceremony, the faction asserted it destroyed its weapons out of "free will" in response to "Leader Apo's" (Abdullah Öcalan's) call. The statement, delivered by Bese Hozat, Co-Chair of the PKK Executive Committee, affirmed: "We are here now in response to the call of the Kurdish people's leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to ensure the practical success of the peace and democratic society process, and to wage our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through political, legal, and democratic methods, on the basis of enacting laws for democratic integration. We are voluntarily destroying our weapons before you, as a step of good faith and determination." The statement emphasized that amid escalating pressures and "fascist exploitation" globally, and the ongoing "bloodshed in the Middle East," the Kurdish people urgently need a peaceful, free, equal, and democratic life. It called on youth, women, socialist and democratic forces, and all peoples to recognize, appreciate, and support the historic value of these steps toward peace and democracy. While the burning of weapons was symbolic, indicating the PKK's seriousness in destroying its arms, the ultimate fate of all PKK weaponry and its full disposal remains unclear. It is anticipated that specific handover points will be designated along the Turkish-Iraqi border for the full disarmament process. Widespread Welcome The initial step towards disarming the PKK was met with a welcome in both Erbil and Ankara. Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, described it as an "important and joyous step towards the success of the peace process," affirming it would "move the peace process to a new stage, and practical steps will follow to advance the process on the right track." Bafel Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, also hailed the surrender of PKK fighters' weapons as a "historic step towards a new phase," hoping it would lead to "normalizing relations and stabilizing the Kurdistan Region." In Turkey, the primary party concerned by the development, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the PKK's initiation of disarmament on Friday as an "important step that will lead to positive results," according to Anadolu Agency. Who are the PKK? The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is a Kurdish militant and political organization founded in the late 1970s. It launched an armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, seeking greater Kurdish rights and autonomy in Turkey. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999. The group operates primarily from bases in mountainous regions of northern Iraq.
