Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has responded to a rare development in northern Iraq, where 30 militants from the PKK — a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU — laid down their arms. Among them were 15 women. In a symbolic act, they publicly destroyed their weapons by burning them in a large metal container in Sulaymaniyah province.
In a statement posted on social platform X, Erdoğan expressed hope that such actions will help pave the way toward lasting peace and increased national security:
“I hope the steps taken to build a Turkey free of terrorism will bring positive results,” he wrote. “May God grant us success on the path to securing our nation, ensuring peace for our people, and establishing lasting peace in our region.”
This public disarmament follows the PKK’s formal announcement in May of its dissolution and intent to disarm after over four decades of armed activity.
Earlier in February, the group’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, had also called for an end to the armed conflict, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives — including women, children, and the elderly — since the 1980s.
The event in Sulaymaniyah is seen as both symbolic and emotionally powerful, heightening expectations for a potential peace process in one of the region’s longest-running and bloodiest conflicts.
