PKK militants burn weapons-milestone in conflict with Turkey

PKK militants burn weapons-milestone in conflict with Turkey

A ceremony in northern Iraq has a symbolic turn on Friday in almost five decades of conflict between Turkey and Workers' Party Kurdistans (PKK), in which some PKK fighter put down their weapons. This gesture not only has an emotional, but also historical extraordinary value, since the conflict has demanded tens of thousands of life in recent decades.

ceremony in Sulaymaniyah

politicians and observers gathered for the ceremony in the old cave of Casene, near the city of Sulaymaniyah. There about 30 men and women from the PKK placed their weapons in a large kettle that was then set on fire.

declaration of intent of the PKK

The PKK fighters announced in a statement that they wanted to continue their “freedom struggles” through “democratic politics and legal means”. "We hereby destroy our weapons out of free will and in their presence," it said in the explanation.

reactions from Turkey

Turkish news channels eagerly reported on the ceremony. Apart from a small group of loaded observers, journalists had no access to the event. Turkish media showed helicopters that flew across the cave where the ceremony took place, while convoys of white pick-up trucks and black vans drove into the area.

political importance and goals of Türkiye

A high -ranking Turkish civil servant described the step as "irreversible turning point" and called him a "milestone". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of an "important step" on the "Way to a Turkey -Free Türkiye". He expressed the desire for success in realizing this goal for the benefit of national security and peace in the region.

Development of the PKK

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the PKK's announcement and saw it "significant progress towards disarmament". In May, the PKK, which is classified in Turkey, the USA and the European Union as a terrorist organization, had announced that it would hire and dissolve all activities after calling up its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan.

historical context and challenges

founded by Öcalan in 1978, the PKK waged a war against the Turkish state for decades. Initially, the group aimed at an independent state in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Türkiye, but has been calling for more autonomy and more extensive cultural rights in recent years. Erdogan has tried several times to end the conflict and has granted more rights to the Kurds in the past.

Current status of negotiations

2013 Erdogan cooperated with the Pro-Kurdish party for Democracy of the Völker (HDP) in a short peace process with the PKK, which collapsed in 2015. Since then there have been massive repression against the HDP, the members of which are viewed by the Turkish government as a PKK supporter. The popular Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş, Co-chairman of the HDP, has been in prison since his arrest in 2016.

demographic situation of the Kurds

The Kurds represent the largest minority in Turkey and make up between 15 % and 20 % of the population, as the Minorities Rights Group International reports. They also have a significant presence in northern Syria, in northern Iraq and Iran.

This step towards peace could initiate a new era of political relationships in the region.