Kurdish Provincial State (PKK) ends exchange, burning weapons in northern Iraq

A group of combatants from the Workers’ Kurdish Kurdish Party (PKK) ended a formal weapon switching ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday, burning down the weapons they surrendered, symbolically ending decades of conflict with the Turkish state.

The bill was carried out in the Jasana cave in Sulemenia Province, marking one of the most important milestones in the Kurdish-Türkiye peace process to date.

30 Fighters (including light weapons and medium machine guns) stretched out their arms and burned them down in an irreversible commitment to nonviolence.

The fighters called out slogans to support their long-time leader, Abdullah Öcalan, who said the move was a ” gesture of goodwill” in response to Öcalan’s repeated calls for peace and political participation.

A video was released showing the disarmament ceremony.

According to Besê Hozat, the PKK executive and spokesman for the oversight ceremony, the entire event lasted about 20 minutes.

The ceremony was attended by an official delegation from the Kurdish region, representatives of Kurdish parties in Iraq and Türkiye, as well as many political and social figures.

In his speech, Hozart said the PKK hopes that Türkiye “responds to this initiative and takes concrete steps to accelerate the peace process, restore security and recognize democratic rights.”

She called for “released now [PKK] Leader Öcalan. ”

After Hozat’s speech, PKK fighters placed their lamps and medium weapons into a specially prepared metal pit, Hozat and another PKK commander set the weapon on fire, symbolizing what Hozat called the “starting of a new phase.”

“Our people should live in peace under normal conditions and dignity,” Hozart pointed out.

Turkish media confirmed the beginning of the weapons decommissioning process, which took place in a remote area near Dokan, with very limited media access, about 60 kilometers northwest of Sulaimaniyah.

The organizations involved in the disarmament during the ceremony issued a detailed press statement after the ceremony.

They affirmed the transition from armed struggle to democratic political activities, declaring: “We are here to destroy our weapons today to combine our goodwill and sincere will [Friday] The historical moment before you. ”

“From now on, we will continue to fight for freedom, democracy and socialism using democratic and legal political methods.”

The group said the disarmament decision was rooted in the latest video news from Öcalan, dated June 19, 2025, as well as early statements and resolutions of the 12th Congress in May, during which the group announced the dissolution of its organization.

Öcalan has been imprisoned in Türkiye since 1999, urging the DPP to move from armed confrontation to political struggle to gain Kurdish rights through peaceful means.

The group called for the release of Öcalan, called on the Turkish government to take the initiative and start a real political dialogue to address the Kurdish problems.

“We believe in our collective strength and our ability to achieve the benefits of new democracy,” the warrior said.

They also called on international and regional powers to support the peace process and recognize the legitimate national and democratic rights of the Kurdish people.

Turkish officials responded positively.

A Turkish official told DPA that the weapons of Sulaimaniyah’s PKK militants marked by Sulaimaniyah were “a milestone in the third phase of the ongoing disarmament and decommissioning process and marked a concrete and welcome step to end the group’s decades of violent movement.”

“We believe this development is an irreversible turning point, an opportunity to protect innocent lives and escape a horrible future,” the official said.

The Turkish government reiterated its commitment to a broader five-stage peace initiative, which includes political inclusion, legal reintegration and psychosocial rehabilitation for affected communities.

While symbolic at present – given that the PKK still has thousands of fighter jets, Friday’s disarmament activities represent a potential historic turning point.

Other weapons collection sites are expected to be established and further disarmament phases are monitored in the Erbir plan of the Turkish, Iraq and Kurdish regional governments.