PKK to begin handing over arms in Iraq on Friday as part of peace deal with Turkey
The PKK - locked in a bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades - decided in May to disband and end its struggle, following a public call from the group's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February.
NTV said, without citing sources, that Ocalan would send a video message to the PKK's base in northern Iraq's mountainous Qandil region to call for a mechanism for the disarmament process. It would be the first video featuring his face and voice since his jailing in 1999.
The whole process is expected to take around two to five months, NTV said, adding that militants who hand in weapons will stay in Iraq and halt any PKK activities.
On Monday, a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party - Turkey's third-biggest party, which played a key role facilitating the disarmament decision - met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss the process.
NTV earlier reported that Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey's MIT intelligence agency, would travel to Baghdad on Tuesday for talks with Iraqi officials to discuss the weapons handover.
Since the PKK launched its insurgency against Turkey in 1984 - originally with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state - the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a huge economic burden and fueled social tensions.
Ankara says skirmishes between Turkish soldiers and PKK militants in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq have continued since the group's decision to disband, adding that Turkey was still raiding PKK storage areas and bases in the region.
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Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
PKK to begin handing over arms in Iraq on Friday as part of peace deal with Turkey
Militant fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) will begin handing over weapons in groups in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah on Friday as part of a peace process with Turkey, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported on Tuesday. The PKK - locked in a bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades - decided in May to disband and end its struggle, following a public call from the group's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February. NTV said, without citing sources, that Ocalan would send a video message to the PKK's base in northern Iraq's mountainous Qandil region to call for a mechanism for the disarmament process. It would be the first video featuring his face and voice since his jailing in 1999. The whole process is expected to take around two to five months, NTV said, adding that militants who hand in weapons will stay in Iraq and halt any PKK activities. On Monday, a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party - Turkey's third-biggest party, which played a key role facilitating the disarmament decision - met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss the process. NTV earlier reported that Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey's MIT intelligence agency, would travel to Baghdad on Tuesday for talks with Iraqi officials to discuss the weapons handover. Since the PKK launched its insurgency against Turkey in 1984 - originally with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state - the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a huge economic burden and fueled social tensions. Ankara says skirmishes between Turkish soldiers and PKK militants in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq have continued since the group's decision to disband, adding that Turkey was still raiding PKK storage areas and bases in the region.
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Kurdish PKK militants to begin handing over arms in Iraq on Friday, NTV says
ANKARA: Militant fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) will begin handing over weapons in groups in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah on Friday as part of a peace process with Turkiye, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported on Tuesday. The PKK — locked in a bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades — decided in May to disband and end its struggle, following a public call from the group's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February. NTV said, without citing sources, that Ocalan would send a video message to the PKK's base in northern Iraq's mountainous Qandil region to call for a mechanism for the disarmament process. It would be the first video featuring his face and voice since his jailing in 1999. The whole process is expected to take around two to five months, NTV said, adding that militants who hand in weapons will stay in Iraq and halt any PKK activities. On Monday, a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party — Turkiye's third-biggest party, which played a key role facilitating the disarmament decision — met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss the process. NTV earlier reported that Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkiye's MIT intelligence agency, would travel to Baghdad on Tuesday for talks with Iraqi officials to discuss the weapons handover. Since the PKK launched its insurgency against Turkiye in 1984 — originally with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state — the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a huge economic burden and fueled social tensions. Ankara says skirmishes between Turkish soldiers and PKK militants in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq have continued since the group's decision to disband, adding that Turkiye was still raiding PKK storage areas and bases in the region.
Arab News
16 hours ago
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Pakistan expresses solidarity as 12 Turkish soldiers die in Iraq cave gas incident
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday said it was saddened over the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers who were killed after being exposed to methane gas during a military search operation in northern Iraq, offering condolences and reaffirming solidarity with Turkiye. According to the Turkish defense ministry, the incident occurred on Sunday during a mission to locate the remains of a soldier killed earlier in operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. The soldiers were operating in the Claw-Lock Operation zone, part of a broader Turkish cross-border military campaign launched in April 2022 to root out PKK fighters from northern Iraq's mountainous terrain. The ministry said several other soldiers exposed to methane gas in the same cave were hospitalized for treatment. 'We are deeply saddened to learn that 12 Turkish soldiers were martyred, after being exposed to methane gas during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation zone,' the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. 'We wish Allah's mercy upon the martyrs and express deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Pakistan stands in firm solidarity with brotherly Turkiye in this moment of grief.' While fatal gas exposure incidents in combat zones are relatively rare, the risk of methane buildup in enclosed or underground spaces such as caves or tunnels is well documented in both military and mining contexts. Methane is a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable gas that can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation in confined environments. In past years, Turkish forces have reported discovering elaborate tunnel networks used by PKK fighters in northern Iraq, often rigged with explosives or hazardous substances. In 2021, three Turkish soldiers were killed in a suspected chemical exposure during clashes in a cave complex in the same region, though Turkish authorities did not publicly confirm the substance involved. The latest incident underscores the continuing dangers faced by Turkish troops deployed in high-risk terrain as part of ongoing security operations. Turkiye has maintained a network of military bases in Iraq's Kurdistan region for years, a policy that has drawn criticism from Baghdad but is defended by Ankara as necessary for national defense. Pakistan and Turkiye share close defense and diplomatic ties, with regular high-level exchanges and joint military cooperation. Islamabad has consistently voiced support for Ankara's security concerns, including its fight against the PKK.
