Latest news with #KurdishConflict
Arab News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Kurdish farmers return to mountains in peace as PKK tensions calm
TURKIYE: Deep in the mountains of Turkiye's southeastern Hakkari province, bordering Iran and Iraq, Kurdish livestock owners and farmers have gradually returned with their animals after decades of armed conflict between Kurdish militants and the Turkish army. 'We've been coming here for a long time. Thirty years ago we used to come and go, but then we couldn't come. Now we just started to come again and to bring our animals as we want,' said 57-year-old Selahattin Irinc, speaking Kurdish, while gently pressing his hand on a sheep's neck to keep it from moving during shearing. On July 11 a symbolic weapons destruction ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan marked a major step in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics – part of a broader effort to end one of the region's longest-running conflicts. The PKK, listed as a terror group by Turkiye and much of the international community, was formed in 1978 by Ankara University students, with the ultimate goal of achieving the Kurds' liberation. It took up arms in 1984. The conflict has caused 50,000 deaths among civilians and 2,000 among soldiers, according to Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Alongside with several other men and women, Irinc practices animal husbandry in the grassy highlands at the foot of the Cilo Mountains and its Resko peak, which stands as the second-highest in the country with an altitude of 4,137 meters (13,572 feet). A place of scenic beauty, with waterfalls, glacial lakes and trekking routes, Cilo has gradually opened its roads over the past few years to shepherds and tourists alike as the armed conflict with PKK died down on the backdrop of peace negotiations. But the picturesque mountains had long been the scene of heavy fighting between the Turkish army and PKK fighters who took advantage of the rough terrain to hide and strike. It left the Kurdish farmers often at odds with the army. 'In the past we always had problems with the Turkish soldiers. They accused us of helping PKK fighters by feeding them things like milk and meat from our herd,' another Kurdish livestock owner, who asked not to be named, said, rejecting such claims. 'Now it's calmer,' he added. Although the peace process brought more openness and ease to the region, tensions did not vanish overnight. Checkpoints remain present around the city of Hakkari, and also to the main access point to the trekking path leading to Cilo glacier, a major tourist attraction. 'Life is quite good and it's very beautiful here. Tourists come and stay in the mountains for one or two days with their tents, food, water and so on,' said farmer Mahir Irinc. But the mountains are a hard, demanding environment for those making a living in their imposing shadow, and the 37-year-old thinks his generation might be the last to do animal husbandry far away from the city. 'I don't think a new generation will come after us. We will be happy if it does, but the young people nowadays don't want to raise animals, they just do whatever job is easier,' he lamented. An open truck carrying more than a dozen Kurdish women made its way to another farm in the heart of the mountains, where sheep waited to be fed and milked. The livestock graze at the foot of the mountains for three to four months, while the weather is warm, before being brought back to the village. 'We all work here. Mothers, sisters, our whole family. Normally I'm preparing for university, but today I was forced to come because my mother is sick,' explained 22-year-old Hicran Denis. 'I told my mother: don't do this anymore, because it's so tiring. But when you live in a village, livestock is the only work. There's nothing else,' she said.
Free Malaysia Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Kurdish PKK fighters destroy weapons at key ceremony
The PKK has taken several historic steps in recent months. (AFP pic) SULAIMANIYAH : Thirty PKK fighters destroyed their weapons at a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan today, two months after the Kurdish rebels ended their decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state. The ceremony marks a turning point in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics, as part of a broader effort to draw a line under one of the region's longest-running conflicts. Analysts say the PKK's military weakness makes disarmament a face-saving move, while allowing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to claim victory over a decades-long insurgency. At the brief ceremony, which took place in a cave in the mountains of northern Iraq, a first batch of 30 rebels were seen burning their weapons, an AFP correspondent at the scene said. 'Thirty PKK fighters, four of whom were commanders, burned their weapons,' said the correspondent who was present at the cave near the city of Sulaimaniyah, in the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq's north. Throughout the morning, cars could be seen pulling up to the Casene cave, a symbolic location that once housed a Kurdish printing press, Firat news agency said. Founded by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK took up arms in 1984, beginning a string of bloody attacks on Turkish soil that sparked a conflict that cost more than 40,000 lives. But more than four decades on, the PKK in May announced its dissolution, saying it would pursue a democratic struggle to defend the rights of the Kurdish minority in line with a historic call by Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence in Turkey since 1999. 'As a gesture of goodwill, a number of PKK fighters, who took part in fighting Turkish forces in recent years, will destroy or burn their weapons in a ceremony,' a PKK commander told AFP on July 1, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tensions rose ahead of the ceremony as two drones were shot down overnight near Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga bases, one in Sulaimaniyah, and the other in Kirkuk, according to officials who did not say was behind the attacks. No casualties were reported. 'Power of politics' At the ceremony were officials representing Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, veteran Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Iraqi and Kurdistan interior ministries, an AFP correspondent said. Also present were several lawmakers from Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party and a handful of journalists, with Turkish media saying representatives from Ankara's intelligence agency were also there. The start of the PKK's disarmament is a key step in the months-long indirect negotiations between Ocalan and Ankara that began in October with Erdogan's blessing, and have been facilitated by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party. 'I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice,' Ocalan said in a video message released on Wednesday, pledging that the disarmament process would be 'implemented swiftly'. Erdogan said peace efforts with the Kurds would gain momentum after the PKK began laying down its weapons. 'The process will gain a little more speed when the terrorist organisation starts to implement its decision to lay down arms,' he said at the weekend. 'We hope this auspicious process will end successfully as soon as possible, without mishaps or sabotage attempts,' he added on Wednesday. In recent months, the PKK has taken several historic steps, starting with a ceasefire and culminating in its formal dissolution announced on May 12. The shift followed an appeal on Feb 27 by Ocalan, who has spent the past 26 years in solitary confinement on Imrali prison island near Istanbul.
Arab News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Kurdish PKK fighters to begin disarming at key ceremony
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: PKK fighters were to begin laying down their weapons at a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan Friday, two months after the Kurdish rebels ended their decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state. The disarmament ceremony marks a turning point in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics, as part of a broader effort to draw a line under one of the region's longest-running conflicts. Founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK took up arms in 1984, beginning a string of bloody attacks on Turkish soil that sparked a conflict that cost more than 40,000 lives. But more than four decades on, the PKK in May announced its dissolution, saying it would pursue a democratic struggle to defend the rights of the Kurdish minority in line with a historic call by Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence in Turkiye since 1999. Friday's ceremony was to take place during the morning at an undisclosed location in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan — where most of the PKK's fighters have been holed up for the past decade — near the northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah. Although there were limited details about the ceremony, a PKK source said around 30 fighters would destroy their weapons and then return to the mountains. 'As a gesture of goodwill, a number of PKK fighters, who took part in fighting Turkish forces in recent years, will destroy or burn their weapons in a ceremony,' a PKK commander said on July 1, speaking on condition of anonymity. But tensions rose ahead of the ceremony as two drones were shot down overnight near Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga bases, one in Sulaimaniyah, and the other in Kirkuk to the west, according to officials who did not say was behind the attacks. No casualties were reported. The start of the PKK's disarmament is a key step in the months-long indirect negotiations between Ocalan and Ankara that began in October with the blessing of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and have been facilitated by Turkiye's pro-Kurdish DEM party. Among those expected to attend the ceremony were several DEM lawmakers, who arrived in Sulaimaniyah on Thursday, and a handful of journalists. It was not clear whether the ceremony would be broadcast live. 'I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice,' Ocalan said in a video message released on Wednesday, pledging that the disarmament process would be 'implemented swiftly.' Erdogan said peace efforts with the Kurds would gain momentum after the PKK began laying down its weapons. 'The process will gain a little more speed when the terrorist organization starts to implement its decision to lay down arms,' he said at the weekend. 'We hope this auspicious process will end successfully as soon as possible, without mishaps or sabotage attempts,' he added on Wednesday. In recent months, the PKK has taken several historic steps, starting with a ceasefire and culminating in its formal dissolution announced on May 12. The shift followed an appeal on February 27 by Ocalan, who has spent the past 26 years in solitary confinement on Imrali prison island near Istanbul.
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Kurdish PKK fighters to begin disarming at key ceremony
PKK fighters were to begin laying down their weapons at a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan Friday, two months after the Kurdish rebels ended their decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state. The disarmament ceremony marks a turning point in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics, as part of a broader effort to draw a line under one of the region's longest-running conflicts. Founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK took up arms in 1984, beginning a string of bloody attacks on Turkish soil that sparked a conflict that cost more than 40,000 lives. But more than four decades on, the PKK in May announced its dissolution, saying it would pursue a democratic struggle to defend the rights of the Kurdish minority in line with a historic call by Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence in Turkey since 1999. Friday's ceremony was to take place during the morning at an undisclosed location in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan -- where most of the PKK's fighters have been holed up for the past decade -- near the northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah. Although there were limited details about the ceremony, a PKK source told AFP around 30 fighters would destroy their weapons and then return to the mountains. "As a gesture of goodwill, a number of PKK fighters, who took part in fighting Turkish forces in recent years, will destroy or burn their weapons in a ceremony," a PKK commander told AFP on July 1, speaking on condition of anonymity. - 'Power of politics' - The move is a key step in the months-long indirect negotiations between Ocalan and Ankara that began in October with the blessing of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and have been facilitated by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party. Among those expected to attend the ceremony were several DEM lawmakers, who arrived in Sulaimaniyah on Thursday, and a handful of journalists. It was not clear whether the ceremony would be broadcast live. "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice," Ocalan said in a video message released on Wednesday, pledging that the disarmament process would be "implemented swiftly". Erdogan said peace efforts with the Kurds would gain momentum after the PKK began laying down its weapons. "The process will gain a little more speed when the terrorist organisation starts to implement its decision to lay down arms," he said at the weekend. "We hope this auspicious process will end successfully as soon as possible, without mishaps or sabotage attempts," he added on Wednesday. In recent months, the PKK has taken several historic steps, starting with a ceasefire and culminating in its formal dissolution announced on May 12. The shift followed an appeal on February 27 by Ocalan, who has spent the past 26 years in solitary confinement on Imrali prison island near Istanbul. rh-hmw/ysm/sco
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kurdish PKK fighters to begin disarming at key ceremony
PKK fighters were to begin laying down their weapons at a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan Friday, two months after the Kurdish rebels ended their decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state. The disarmament ceremony marks a turning point in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics, as part of a broader effort to draw a line under one of the region's longest-running conflicts. Founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK took up arms in 1984, beginning a string of bloody attacks on Turkish soil that sparked a conflict that cost more than 40,000 lives. But more than four decades on, the PKK in May announced its dissolution, saying it would pursue a democratic struggle to defend the rights of the Kurdish minority in line with a historic call by Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence in Turkey since 1999. Friday's ceremony was to take place during the morning at an undisclosed location in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan -- where most of the PKK's fighters have been holed up for the past decade -- near the northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah. Although there were limited details about the ceremony, a PKK source told AFP around 30 fighters would destroy their weapons and then return to the mountains. "As a gesture of goodwill, a number of PKK fighters, who took part in fighting Turkish forces in recent years, will destroy or burn their weapons in a ceremony," a PKK commander told AFP on July 1, speaking on condition of anonymity. - 'Power of politics' - The move is a key step in the months-long indirect negotiations between Ocalan and Ankara that began in October with the blessing of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and have been facilitated by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party. Among those expected to attend the ceremony were several DEM lawmakers, who arrived in Sulaimaniyah on Thursday, and a handful of journalists. It was not clear whether the ceremony would be broadcast live. "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice," Ocalan said in a video message released on Wednesday, pledging that the disarmament process would be "implemented swiftly". Erdogan said peace efforts with the Kurds would gain momentum after the PKK began laying down its weapons. "The process will gain a little more speed when the terrorist organisation starts to implement its decision to lay down arms," he said at the weekend. "We hope this auspicious process will end successfully as soon as possible, without mishaps or sabotage attempts," he added on Wednesday. In recent months, the PKK has taken several historic steps, starting with a ceasefire and culminating in its formal dissolution announced on May 12. The shift followed an appeal on February 27 by Ocalan, who has spent the past 26 years in solitary confinement on Imrali prison island near Istanbul. rh-hmw/ysm/sco
