Following four decades of conflict with the Turkish state, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has conducted a ceremony to mark a symbolic initial step in laying down its arms.
Approximately 30 fighters, both men and women, deposited their weapons into a cauldron, initiating a disarmament process anticipated to span the summer months.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has characterized the ceremony as an “important step towards our goal of a terror-free Turkey.”
Since the conflict’s inception, an estimated 40,000 lives have been lost, and the PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Its disarmament is expected to have ramifications not only in Turkey but also in Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
A convoy comprising reporters and politicians, including representatives from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition DEM Party, was escorted to a prominent tourist site, Jasana Cave, situated 50km (30 miles) northwest of the city of Suleymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, to witness the ceremony.
PKK fighters, including four high-ranking officials, lined up to place their weapons into the cauldron, where they were subsequently set ablaze.
“We voluntarily destroy our weapons, before your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination,” the group stated, describing the act as a historic and democratic measure.
Earlier this week, the PKK’s long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, declared it was “a voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law.”
Ocalan has been held in solitary confinement on the island of Imrali, southwest of Istanbul, since his capture in 1999.
According to BBC Turkish, the disarmament process will continue over the coming months at designated sites, with the involvement of the Turkish, Iraqi, and Kurdistan regional governments.
While not the first attempt at peace between Turkey and the PKK, this initiative represents the strongest hope to date for ending the armed struggle that began in 1984.
Originally a Marxist group, the PKK initiated its armed campaign advocating for an independent state within Turkey.
In the 1990s, their demands shifted towards greater autonomy for Kurds, who constitute approximately 20% of Turkey’s population.
Ocalan announced a ceasefire in 2013 and urged PKK forces to withdraw from Turkey. The 2015 Dolmabahce Agreement aimed to establish democratic and language rights for Kurds, but the fragile truce collapsed amid widespread violence, particularly in Kurdish-dominated cities in the southeast, including Diyarbakir.
The Turkish Air Force targeted PKK bases in the mountains of northern Iraq, and several military campaigns have also been directed at Kurdish-led forces in Syria.
The government in Ankara stipulated that further talks would not occur until the PKK laid down its arms, a process that has now commenced.
In October 2024, Devlet Bahceli, a prominent nationalist leader and key ally of Erdogan, initiated a process described by the government as “terror-free Turkey.” He urged the PKK’s imprisoned leader to call for the dissolution of the group, suggesting it could pave the way for his potential release from Imrali Island.
The Turkish government engaged in talks with Ocalan through the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, and in February, he made a historic appeal for the PKK to disband, which was read out by two DEM MPs who had recently visited him on the prison island.
“All groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself,” Ocalan’s letter stated.
He explained that the PKK was formed primarily because “the channels of democratic politics were closed,” but that the positive signals from Devlet Bahceli and Erdogan had created a favorable environment.
The PKK followed Ocalan’s lead by declaring a ceasefire and later stating that it had “completed its historical mission,” asserting that the Kurdish issue could now “be resolved through democratic politics.”
President Erdogan hailed it as an “opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror” and met with pro-Kurdish politicians in April.
As the founder of the PKK, Ocalan remains a controversial figure among many Turks, even after 26 years in solitary confinement.
However, he continues to hold significant influence in the eyes of many Kurds.
“I think he really has this authority; he is a main symbol for many Kurds, not all,” says Joost Jongerden, a specialist on the 41-year conflict at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Two days before the PKK was scheduled to begin disarmament, Ocalan appeared on video for the first time since his trial over 20 years ago.
Speaking for seven minutes, he addressed the outlawed group: “I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I call on you to put this principle into practice.”
Ocalan was wearing a beige Lacoste polo shirt, and in a testament to his enduring relevance, the shirt quickly became a viral sensation, with websites selling it running out of stock.
The focus now shifts to Turkey’s parliament in Ankara, where a commission will be established to make decisions regarding the government’s next steps.
With the summer recess approaching, concrete decisions are not expected for several months, until MPs vote on the commission’s recommendations and President Erdogan renders the final decision.
The future of Abdullah Ocalan remains uncertain. The government has indicated that his conditions in jail could be reviewed as the process unfolds, but any potential release would be considered in the later stages.
Erdogan’s AK Party has initiated efforts to amend the constitution, leading to speculation that this could enable Erdogan to run for the presidency again when his final term concludes in 2028.
The AKP and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party deny any connection between the peace process and the constitutional reform, but if Erdogan secures DEM support, he would significantly increase his chances of enacting the changes.
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The arrest operation marks the fifth instance of Turkey jailing Istanbul’s mayor and a leading opposition candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu.
Erdogan has led Turkey for 22 years and has served as president for the past 11, but is ineligible to run again without amending the rules.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has utilized social media to maintain contact with supporters from jail.
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