US EditionJailed Kurdish militant leader urges PKK fighters to disarm before a symbolic peace ceremony
NORTHERN IRAQ, JUL 09 – PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan urged fighters to disarm as part of a peace process ending 40 years of conflict that caused over 40,000 deaths, with a symbolic ceremony planned in Iraq.
- A symbolic ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, where about 30 PKK fighters will lay down and destroy their weapons as a step in a peace process with Turkey.
- This event follows the PKK's formal dissolution announced in May and a historic call by its leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, urging disarmament and democratic political engagement.
- Ocalan shared a seven-minute video message on Wednesday reiterating his call for disarmament, highlighting the crucial role of a parliamentary oversight commission, and stressing the shift toward resolving issues through political and legal means instead of armed conflict.
- President Erdogan conveyed optimism that the disarmament process would accelerate peace initiatives and hoped it would conclude smoothly without interference, emphasizing that this would help prevent further suffering.
- The ceremony and the subsequent disarmament represent a significant move toward peace following a conflict that began in 1984 and resulted in over 40,000 casualties, with the potential to positively impact the entire region if successfully carried out.
86 Articles
86 Articles
The banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced its dissolution in May. On Friday it wants to lay down at least some of its weapons - but states conditions.
The calendar for the peace process in Turkey and its surroundings ** Friday, 11/7/2025, a series of PKK elements of their light weapons will be celebrated. ** President Erdoğan will deliver an important speech on peace and disarmament in Turkey, Saturday, 12/7/2025. ** A peace commission will be formed in the Turkish National Council in the coming weeks to prepare for legal and constitutional action in harmony with the new peaceful situation. **…
Abdullah Öcalan's historic call
Abdullah Öcalan's historic call on video is as follows: "Dear Comrades Ethically, I feel duty-bound to provide, via an – albeit repetitive – comprehensive letter, explanatory and creative responses for the problems, solutions, the achieved levels, and the concrete situation of our Communalist Camaraderie Movement. 1. I continue to defend the call for “Peace and Democratic Society”, [declared on] February 27, 2025. 2. By convening PKK’s 12th Diss…
On Friday, the PKK's disarmament will begin with a symbolic ceremony, overshadowed by the death of twelve Turkish soldiers.
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