A group of around 140 individuals, including members of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, intellectuals, rights advocates, and journalists, has departed from Diyarbakır to attend a symbolic disarmament ceremony by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sulaymaniyah, located within Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory.
The event, set for Jul 11, follows a public appeal by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan through a video message in the first time in his 26-year imprisonment.
The group, which departed Diyarbakır by bus, is expected to arrive in Erbil, capital of the KRG, in the evening. They will travel to Sulaymaniyah, where the ceremony will take place, the following morning.
Among the group are DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) co-chairs Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar and Keskin Bayındır, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson and DEM Deputy Meral Danış-Beştaş, DEM Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, DEM Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Sezai Temelli and several MPs.
Members of DEM Party's İmralı Delegation, which has conducted direct talks with Abdullah Öcalan since December, Ahmet Türk, Mithat Sancar, and Faik Özgür Erol, are also present in the group.
Sebahat Tuncel, Gültan Kışanak and Ayla Akat-Ata, three prominent Kurdish women politicians who were recently released under judicial control following the Kobanî trial, also joined the group after their international travel bans were lifted on Jul 8.
#Diyarbakır | ‘Silah bırakma’ törenine katılacak heyet yola çıktı
— bianet (@bianet_org) July 10, 2025
👉 IKBY’ye bağlı Süleymaniye’de yapılacak törene; çok sayıda siyasi parti, demokratik kitle örgütleri, sendikalar, insan hakları ve hukuk örgütlerinden temsilciler ile gazeteciler davet edilmişti.
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AKP, MHP officials may join
Murat Şen, the Erbil representative of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, spoke to bianet over the phone to share new details about the organization of the upcoming disarmament ceremony.
Şen said, “National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın came to the region and met with the Baghdad government in advance to discuss the local ceremony. The event is being organized by the local government.”
He also noted that Ferdi Tanhan and Zeynettin Bozan from the Patriotic (Vatan) Party were among those who flew into Erbil.
“We haven’t received any official information yet, but there may be participants from the AKP and MHP,” he added, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Şen further stated that an international delegation has also arrived in Erbil to observe the ceremony.
Secret location
In his Jul 9 message, Öcalan declared, “I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I call on you to put this principle into action.”
Responding to the call, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), am umbrella group of the PKK, stated it would comply, while cautioning, “It should be known that the process will not move forward unilaterally or solely through steps taken by us.”
The disarmament ceremony is scheduled to take place between 8.00 and 9.00 am local time (GMT+3) in Sulaymaniyah’s Dukan district.
Due to security concerns, only a limited number of individuals will attend the ceremony in person, acording to a Jul 7 statement by the KCK. Journalists will not be allowed to record footage during the event. Instead, video will be captured and shown to the remaining attendees afterward.
bianet will follow the developments in Sulaymaniyah.
Q&A WITH TUNCER BAKIRHAN
'PKK disarmament is not an end, but the first step toward an honorable peace'
(AB/VK)
