PKK prepares to lay down arms in July, signaling hope for peace in Türkiye

The long-anticipated disarmament process of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is scheduled to begin in early July. This development follows the PKK’s recent announcement ending over four decades of armed insurgency—a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Militants are expected to lay down their weapons at a formal ceremony to be held in Sulaimaniyah, the second-largest city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, between July 3 and 10. Sources within the region describe this event as a pivotal "trust-building step" and a "goodwill gesture" designed to advance reconciliation efforts with the Turkish government, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The pro-Kurdish Democracy and Freedom Party (DEM), instrumental in facilitating dialogue between the imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan and Ankara, anticipates the disarmament to occur in the second week of July. Sezai Temelli, vice president of DEM’s parliamentary group, informed lawmakers that a delegation of DEM representatives is poised to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 8 or 9, before visiting other political parties and subsequently traveling to Imrali Island, where Öcalan has been held since 1999.

President Erdoğan, who recently reaffirmed his commitment to the peace process, described the developments as progress toward a "terror-free Türkiye," reflecting Ankara’s strategic recalibration amid the shifting geopolitical landscape intensified by the Gaza conflict. "Recent events in our region have confirmed how accurate and strategic a step this process is," Erdoğan stated following a cabinet meeting.

Most PKK fighters have been based in the mountainous terrain of northern Iraq for the past decade, an area that has also seen frequent Turkish military operations. While the precise mechanisms of the disarmament remain undisclosed, Turkish authorities have pledged stringent oversight to ensure full compliance throughout the process.

Contrary to speculation that disarmed militants might be relocated to urban centers within Iraqi Kurdistan, insiders have clarified that the fighters will return unarmed to their bases following the ceremony. "It is out of the question for them to go to any city," one source emphasized.

Öcalan is also expected to release a new statement on the peace process in the coming days, potentially marking a further milestone in efforts to resolve one of the region’s most enduring conflicts.

The initiation of the PKK’s disarmament could pave the way for a political settlement that addresses longstanding grievances of Türkiye’s Kurdish minority, who constitute approximately 20 percent of the country’s 85 million population. As Ankara and Kurdish representatives engage in cautious optimism, the region watches closely, hopeful for a new era of stability and dialogue.

By Vafa Guliyeva