Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons
The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm.
Ocalan renewed his call in a video message broadcast on Wednesday, saying: 'I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons.'
In Turkey, Devlet Bahceli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's nationalist ally who initiated the peace process, welcomed the development.
'Starting today, members of the separatist terrorist organisation have begun surrendering their weapons in groups, marking historic developments that signal the end of a dark era,' Mr Bahceli said in a written statement.
'These are exceptionally important days for both Turkey and our region.'
Mr Bahceli, who has traditionally maintained a hardline stance against the PKK, had surprised everyone in October when he suggested in parliament that Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounced violence and disbanded the PKK.
The ceremony took place in the mountains outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that 'the process will take place in stages, with a group of party members initially laying down their weapons 'symbolically''.
The disarmament process is expected to be completed by September, the agency reported.
The PKK has long maintained bases in the mountains of northern Iraq.
Turkish forces have launched offensives and air strikes against the PKK in Iraq and have set up bases in the area.
Scores of villages have emptied as a result.
The Iraqi government in Baghdad last year announced an official ban on the separatist group, which has long been prohibited in Turkey.
Journalists were not allowed at the site of Friday's ceremony.
An Iraqi Kurdish political official said that about 30 fighters took part in the ceremony, which took place in the presence of a representative of the Turkish intelligence service and representatives of the Kurdish regional government, Iraq's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, and the People's Equality and Democracy Party, a pro-Kurdish party in Turkey.
PKK officials previously said that in order to continue the disarmament process, they want to see Turkey take steps to end 'the regime of isolation' imposed on Ocalan in prison and to allow integration of former militants into the political system.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Photos from a street festival of circus performers in the Russian town of Staritsa
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
John Swinney brands Gaza crisis 'genocide' after Fringe show disrupted
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has described the ongoing crisis in Gaza as a "genocide" after a Fringe show he appeared at was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Police were called to the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh after the First Minister was interrupted seven times by six different groups of protesters during a conversation with comedian Susan Morrison . The protesters urged the First Minister to describe the crisis as a genocide and stop state funding for arms companies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking to journalists after the event, the First Minister said: "It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine - it can't be disputed. "I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. "I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling." First Minister John Swinney appearing with comedian Susan Morrison at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe | Craig Paton/PA Wire Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Government has also been criticised for - while not funding directly the manufacturing of munitions - providing money for apprenticeships at firms which build weapons. But the First Minister said the Government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise has the "strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries". Pushed on providing money for staff who could potentially build munitions, the First Minister added: "We're trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. "That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Throughout the show, groups of attendees stood up, holding signs which spelled the word "genocide", and heckled the First Minister. As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, before two groups stood at the same time, angrily shouting at the First Minister and chanting slogans such as "call it genocide". Members of his security team stood in front of the stage, stopping protesters from approaching the First Minister, before three uniformed police officers arrived at the venue to usher the protesters out. During the tense exchange, which lasted several minutes, a number of the crowd - who were not protesting - appeared to be in tears. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A final disruption came from one woman in the crowd, who asked the First Minister why he had not responded to her letter about heavy metal band Disturbed playing at the Hydro in Glasgow . The band's lead singer David Draiman has been criticised after being pictured signing an Israeli bomb. The woman asked the First Minister why he did not speak out on Disturbed playing at the city's biggest venue, when he said it would be inappropriate for Irish band Kneecap to play the TRNSMT festival after comments members of the band had made about Tory MPs. The First Minister said his comments on Kneecap had come due to questions from the media and he "didn't particularly" want to speak about the band earlier this year, adding that he did not want to choose what art people do and do not consume. The woman became increasingly angry with the First Minister's response and was eventually dragged from the venue by a police officer, whom she branded a "thug".
STV News
3 hours ago
- STV News
Swinney brands Gaza crisis ‘genocide' after Fringe show disrupted
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has described the ongoing crisis in Gaza as a 'genocide' after a Fringe show he appeared at was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters. Police were called to the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh after the First Minister was interrupted seven times by six different groups of protesters during a conversation with comedian Susan Morrison. The protesters urged the First Minister to describe the crisis as a genocide and stop state funding for arms companies. Speaking to journalists after the event, the First Minister said: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can't be disputed. 'I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. PA Media First Minister John Swinney appeared on stage with comedian Susan Morrison 'I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling.' The Scottish Government has also been criticised for – while not funding directly the manufacturing of munitions – providing money for apprenticeships at firms which build weapons. But the First Minister said the Government's commercial arm, Scottish Enterprise, has the 'strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies that may be related to defence industries'. Pushed on providing money for staff who could potentially build munitions, the First Minister added: 'We're trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. 'That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.' Throughout the show, groups of attendees stood up, holding signs which spelt the word 'genocide', and heckled the First Minister. PA Media Police were called in to remove pro-Palestinian protesters from the event As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, before two groups stood at the same time, angrily shouting at the First Minister and chanting slogans such as 'call it genocide'. Members of his security team stood in front of the stage, stopping protesters from approaching the First Minister, before three uniformed police officers arrived at the venue to usher the protesters out. During the tense exchange, which lasted several minutes, a number of the crowd – who were not protesting – appeared to be in tears. A final disruption came from one woman in the crowd, who asked the First Minister why he had not responded to her letter about heavy metal band Disturbed playing at the Hydro in Glasgow. The band's lead singer, David Draiman, has been criticised after being pictured signing an Israeli bomb. The woman asked the First Minister why he did not speak out on Disturbed playing at the city's biggest venue, when he said it would be inappropriate for Irish band Kneecap to play the TRNSMT festival after comments members of the band had made about Tory MPs. The First Minister said his comments on Kneecap had come due to questions from the media and he 'didn't particularly' want to speak about the band earlier this year, adding that he did not want to choose what art people do and do not consume. The woman became increasingly angry with the First Minister's response and was eventually dragged from the venue by a police officer, whom she branded a 'thug'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
