Kurdish PKK Militants Set Fire to Weapons for Disarmament in Iraq

On Friday, thirty militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) set fire to their weapons at the entrance of a cave in northern Iraq, marking a crucial yet symbolic move towards ending a prolonged insurgency against Turkey.

Video footage showed the fighters, half of whom were women, lining up to deposit AK-47 rifles, ammunition belts, and other firearms into a large gray cauldron. The flames consumed the weapons, which pointed skyward, while Kurdish, Iraqi, and Turkish officials observed the event from a distance.

Since being banned in 1984, the PKK has been engaged in a fierce struggle against the Turkish state. However, in May, the group announced its decision to disband and disarm following a public appeal from their long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

Amid a history of unsuccessful peace talks, this new effort could potentially clear the way for Ankara to resolve an insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives, strained the economy, and created severe social and political rifts within Turkey and its neighboring regions.

President Tayyip Erdogan expressed optimism that the PKK’s disbandment would enhance Turkey’s security and promote regional stability. He remarked on X, “May God grant us success in achieving our objectives for the safety of our homeland, the peace of our people, and the establishment of lasting tranquility in our region.”

The ceremony took place at the Jasana cave’s mouth, located in the town of Dukan, about 60 kilometers northwest of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

The soldiers, dressed in beige military uniforms, were accompanied by four commanders, one of whom was a prominent PKK leader, Bese Hozat. She read a declaration in Turkish that announced the group’s decision to disarm.

“In your presence, we voluntarily destroy our weapons as a gesture of goodwill and commitment,” she stated, before another commander translated the message into Kurdish.

Helicopters flew overhead while numerous Iraqi Kurdish security forces secured the mountainous area, according to a witness from Reuters.

The event attracted Turkish and Iraqi intelligence officials, representatives from Iraq’s Kurdistan regional government, and key members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party, who played a significant role in facilitating the PKK’s decision to disarm this year.

The timeline for additional disarmament events remains unclear.

A senior Turkish official indicated that the arms handover represents an “irreversible turning point” in the peace process, while another government source noted that subsequent actions would encompass the legal reintegration of PKK members into Turkish society, as well as initiatives aimed at community healing and reconciliation.

Broader Implications

The PKK has operated from northern Iraq after being forced well outside Turkey’s southeastern border in recent years. Turkish military forces regularly target PKK bases in that area and have established several military outposts.

Peace between NATO-member Turkey and the PKK could have far-reaching implications across the region, including in neighboring Syria, where the U.S. collaborates with Syrian Kurdish groups that Ankara views as PKK affiliates.

Both Washington and Ankara seek to have these Kurdish groups swiftly assimilate into Syria’s security framework, which has been undergoing changes since the fall of autocratic President Bashar al-Assad in December. Analysts suggest that PKK disarmament could intensify this pressure.

All parties involved — including the PKK, DEM, and Ocalan — have urged Erdogan’s administration to address Kurdish demands for greater rights in areas where Kurds are the majority, particularly in southeastern Turkey, where the insurgency has been most concentrated.

In a rare online video released on Wednesday, Ocalan, whose image was prominently displayed at the weapons ceremony, also called for the establishment of a parliamentary commission to manage disarmament and the larger peace initiative.

While Ankara has initiated moves toward forming this commission, both the DEM and Ocalan have stated that legal guarantees and various mechanisms are essential for facilitating the PKK’s transition to democratic politics.

Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan’s AK Party, remarked that the ceremony represented an initial step towards complete disarmament and a “terror-free Turkey,” emphasizing the necessity to finalize this process “in a timely manner.”

Erdogan has asserted that disarmament will enable the reconstruction of southeastern Turkey. Over the past fifty years, Turkey has invested nearly $1.8 trillion in combating terrorism, as noted by Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek.