The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will proceed with its symbolic disarmament ceremony on Jul 11 in Sulaymaniyah, in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, but without media presence or live coverage due to new security precautions.
The PKK’s umbrella organization, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), issued a statement yesterday announcing the change. “Due to the changing security situation, we had to revise the details of the ceremony in Sulaymaniyah on short notice. The event will go ahead as planned but will not be livestreamed, and members of the press will not be allowed to attend,” the statement read.
“We are very sorry for this last-minute change and ask for your understanding. A screen will be set up near the ceremony site where video recordings will be broadcast after the event. This will be our only way of sharing the ceremony with you. You are welcome to attend. We understand and respect if some choose not to participate due to this change, and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
The disarmament ceremony marks the group’s first public step toward dissolving itself, following a call made by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on Feb 27. The PKK formally announced its decision to disband on May 12 after a congress held May 5–7.
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PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa previously said that 20 to 30 fighters would destroy their weapons during the ceremony, with civil society organizations overseeing the process. Attendees are expected to include members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and representatives from various political, labor, women’s, and youth groups.
The group has linked future disarmament steps to the lifting of Öcalan’s prison isolation and legal reforms in Turkey to allow former fighters to transition into democratic politics.
DEM-Erdoğan meeting
Meanwhile, DEM Party officials held a second meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday to discuss the ongoing peace initiative. Pervin Buldan, a DEM Party MP from Van and member of the İmralı delegation holding talks with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, described the meeting as significant.
“This is our second meeting. From our perspective, it’s a historic one because the process is entering a new phase,” she said. “In this new stage, consultation and exchange of ideas are essential. Today, Mr. President and our delegation will discuss all of these issues. We believe it’s important to establish dialogue to move forward, and we hope for a productive meeting. We attach great importance to this.”
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The current peace initiative began last October when Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key government ally, stated that Öcalan could be eligible for a right to hope, a possible release from life imprisonment, if the PKK were to disarm. Following a series of communications between Öcalan and the DEM delegation, Öcalan issued a public appeal in February, calling on the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve.
The PKK’s decision comes after more than four decades of conflict with the Turkish state, which has claimed over 40,000 lives. (VK)
