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PKK Fighters Start Disarmament Ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan

Implementing Öcalan’s February appeal to disarm, the ceremony embodies the PKK’s shift from armed revolt to democratic politics

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Turkey's European Union Affairs Minister Omer Celik speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Turkish Embassy in London, Britain, September, 14, 2017. REUTERS/Will Russell/File photo
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The PKK began its armed struggle against the Turkish state in 1984

Overview

  • About 30 PKK fighters publicly destroyed rifles and other weapons at a remote site near Sulaimaniyah in northern Iraq on Friday.
  • The ceremony represents the first tangible step in the group’s post-dissolution process following its formal May 12 disbandment announcement.
  • Turkish government representatives and DEM Party officials oversaw the event to ensure compliance with the PKK’s declared dissolution.
  • Indirect negotiations brokered by the pro-Kurdish DEM Party began in October with President Erdoğan’s support and led to a ceasefire on March 1.
  • Turkish authorities will verify destroyed stockpiles and monitor the integration of former fighters into political and civil society roles.