By Hyacinth Estrada
After over four decades of insurgency, Kurdish guerrilla fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will begin the disarmament process in a historic ceremony to be held this week in the northern Iraqi province of Sulaimani.
The Kurdish group will start proceedings by burning their weapons in a symbolic action that indicates the end of their war against the Turkish government.
Such a move comes after the PKK announced in May its decision to disband and halt any military activities in response to a call from their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to dissolve.
The 76-year-old, who has continued to play a significant role within the Kurdish movement since his detention in 1999, urged his supporters to seek political solutions to protect Kurdish rights.
First phase begins
The Raparin district in Sulaimani, which is considered strategically secure for the handover, will host the first phase of disarmament from July 10 to 12, according to local media reports.
PKK members are planning to burn their weapons rather than turn them over to any administration, marking a transition from armed opposition to political engagement.
Citing fewer Turkish airstrikes and a more settled environment, the PKK insisted on Sulaimani being the location of the disarmament despite Ankara’s original demand for Erbil.
After discussions, the city was finally approved by the Turkish government.
In contrast to ongoing bombings in the provinces of Duhok and Erbil, observers say Turkey has not conducted airstrikes in Sulaimani since the PKK announced a truce.
The gathering is anticipated to include a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in Turkey.
During informal peace negotiations between Ankara and the PKK, the DEM Party has been serving as a mediator.
Turkey has demanded “verifiable” disarmament even as it has cautiously welcomed the PKK’s resolve to cease its armed conflict.
The PKK, meanwhile, seeks long-standing reforms to Kurdish-related issues in Turkey.
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially demanded full independence but later revised its goals to advocate for cultural and political rights for Kurds.
The group remains designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey and several Western nations.
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