A ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday saw a handful of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants lay down their weapons, a small but hugely symbolic gesture that marks the beginning of an end to a conflict with the Turkish state that’s lasted nearly five decades and cost tens of thousands of lives.

Erdogan said the recent steps to disarm have united Turkey, and now the parliament will help facilitate the disarmament process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for full support of the disarmament of Kurdish militants that began with a handover of the first batch of weapons by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) forces,

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) began laying down its weapons in a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday, marking the first visible step in a broader disarmament process aimed at ending over four decades of armed conflict with Turkey. Iraqi and Turkish officials hailed the move as a historic milestone for regional stability.

Southeast Turkey, where the army has battled Kurdish militants for decades, is not yet convinced that lasting peace is at hand.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the disarmament of the Kurdish PKK militant group as a victory for his country after its members began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony on Friday. View on

Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, appeared in a rare online video on Wednesday to declare the group's armed struggle against Turkey over and call for a full transition to democratic politics.

The imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party has renewed his call for fighters to disarm. In a video message on Wednesday, Abdullah Ocalan emphasized the importance of abandoning armed conflict and embracing peace through politics.