AhlulBayt News Agency: Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have begun laying down their arms in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, signaling the end of their decades-long armed struggle against Turkey.
The ceremony took place Friday morning at Jasana Cave near Sulaymaniyah, a longtime shelter for PKK fighters.
Around 30 militants surrendered weapons such as AK-47s, PKM machine guns, and sniper rifles before retreating to the mountains.
A PKK commander previously stated that fighters would destroy or burn their weapons as a gesture of goodwill.
Tensions flared before the event when two drones were shot down near peshmerga bases in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk.
The disarmament marks a major step in indirect talks between jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Turkish government, supported by President Erdogan and the DEM Party.
The ceremony reflects the PKK’s transition from armed resistance to democratic political engagement.
In a video message, Ocalan urged the group to embrace politics and peace, promising swift implementation of disarmament.
President Erdogan said the peace process would accelerate once the PKK began disarming.
He expressed hope that the initiative would succeed without disruption or sabotage.
On May 12, the PKK officially decided to disarm and dissolve, ending its armed campaign.
Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, called for the group to hold a congress and formally disband.
The decision was welcomed by officials in Syria, Iraq, the EU, and the United Nations.
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