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Rudaw Net
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Historic Sulaimani cave hosts PKK disarmament
Also in Kurdistan 30 PKK fighters lay down machine guns, sniper rifles Historic PKK disarmament ceremony draws in Kurdish leaders Kurdish political icon Layla Zana says Turkey must change terror law Rudaw launches major scholarship program in Erbil A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Friday began its historic disarmament with a ceremony in Jasana Cave, a location deeply symbolic of Kurdish resistance and identity. Hakim Abdulkarim, a member of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNC or KNK) umbrella group that includes several Kurdish organizations including the PKK, confirmed to Rudaw ahead of the ceremony that the event was taking place in Jasana Cave, located approximately 50 kilometers west of Sulaimani city. 'We are at the ceremony location, and it will be held in Jasana Cave in Surdash sub-district in Sulaimani province,' Abdulkarim said. In the ceremony, a group of PKK fighters will lay down their arms, taking a pivotal step towards ending more than four decades of conflict. The weapons are slated for destruction. Jasana Cave has played a significant role in Kurdish history. In 1923, during the revolution led by Sheikh Mahmoud Hafeed, Jasana Cave served as his headquarters and a refuge after the British army bombed Sulaimani. Hafeed is often referred to as the King of Kurdistan. It was within this cave that he established a printing press and published the first issue of "Bangi Haq" (Call for Truth) newspaper on March 28, 1923, considered the first Kurdish revolutionary newspaper and a crucial organ of the liberation movement. Decades later, during the Ba'ath regime, Jasana Cave regained its importance as a shelter and stronghold for Peshmerga forces in their resistance efforts in the Surdash, Dukan, and Piramagrun mountain chains. Due to its role in key periods of Kurdish struggle for self-determination and its connection to significant figures like Sheikh Mahmoud Hafeed, Jasana Cave has become a potent symbol of Kurdish resistance. The PKK, founded in 1978 to fight for Kurdish independence, later shifted its focus to securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. In February, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan urged the group to abandon its armed struggle and pursue a political solution. The PKK declared a ceasefire on March 1 and in May it announced its dissolution and end to its armed struggle. The ceremonial disarmament on Friday is considered a gesture of good faith as part of an ongoing peace process between the PKK and the Turkish state.
Rudaw Net
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
30 PKK fighters lay down machine guns, sniper rifles
Also in Kurdistan Historic Sulaimani cave hosts PKK disarmament Historic PKK disarmament ceremony draws in Kurdish leaders Kurdish political icon Layla Zana says Turkey must change terror law Rudaw launches major scholarship program in Erbil A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters announced on Friday that they publicly disarmed in the Kurdistan Region in direct response to the call from their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan and as a gesture of good will during peace negotiations with Ankara. Well-informed sources told Rudaw that the group, identifying themselves as the Group for Peace and Democratic Society, 'comprised around 30 fighters who laid down weapons including AK-47s, PKM machine guns, and sniper rifles.' While laying down arms, they reaffirmed their commitment to democratic political engagement to secure Kurdish rights in Turkey. The ceremonial disarmament took place in the historic Jasana Cave, west of Sulaimani. Developing story…
Rudaw Net
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Historic PKK disarmament ceremony draws in Kurdish leaders
Also in Kurdistan Kurdish political icon Layla Zana says Turkey must change terror law Rudaw launches major scholarship program in Erbil Drone downed over Peshmerga base near Sulaimani Top Iraqi delegation to attend PKK disarmament ceremony A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Representatives from across the Kurdish political spectrum, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), are attending a PKK disarmament ceremony in Sulaimani province on Friday. Two senior members of the Kurdistan Community Union (KCK), an umbrella group that includes the PKK, are attending - co-chair of the KCK executive council Bese Hozat and executive council member Mustafa Karasu. The co-chairs of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party - which is mediating talks between Turkey and the PKK - are also attending. From the Kurdistan Region, Dilshad Shahab is representing President Nechirvan Barzani and Tariq Ahmed is representing the Interior Ministry. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is represented by Hemin Hawrami, who is attending on behalf of KDP leader Masoud Barzani, and a representative from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) will also attend. Many other Kurdish politicians and activists are expected at the event. Iraq's intelligence agency is also sending a delegation. A first group of PKK fighters will disarm in a historic ceremony in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province. The event marks a major milestone in a months-long peace initiative to end the four-decade conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The disarmament is in response to a February appeal from jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan to abandon armed struggle in favor of a political solution. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought to establish an independent Kurdish state but later shifted its focus toward securing greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
