PKK militants to begin disarmament in Iraqi Kurdistan in early July, following settlement with Türkiye
DEM party says move marks key step in reconciliation with Ankara, Erdogan expected to meet Kurdish lawmakers amid renewed peace efforts
ISTANBUL, Türkiye (MNTV) — Militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are expected to begin laying down their weapons at a formal disarmament ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan during the second week of July, according to a report by Kurdish media outlet Rudaw.
The anticipated development comes weeks after the PKK declared an end to its decades-long armed insurgency—a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since the 1980s.
The group’s disarmament is widely seen as a pivotal gesture to advance a broader political reconciliation between the Turkish state and its Kurdish minority, which comprises nearly one-fifth of the national population.
Citing sources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Rudaw reported that the ceremony will likely be held in Sulaimaniyah between July 3 and 10, with around 20 to 30 PKK fighters surrendering their arms.
The move is described as both a “trust-building step” and a “goodwill gesture” toward Ankara.
According to the sources, after the ceremony the militants will return unarmed to their bases, rejecting speculation that they would be relocated to urban areas in Iraqi Kurdistan.
“The guerrillas will return to their bases after disarming. It is out of the question for them to go to any city,” one source told Rudaw.
Sezai Temelli, deputy head of the pro-Kurdish DEM party’s parliamentary group, confirmed on Monday that preparations were underway.
He said DEM lawmakers are planning to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 8 or 9, before visiting other political parties and traveling to Imrali Island, where PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan has been imprisoned since 1999.
Temelli added that Öcalan is expected to issue a statement “in the coming days” that will officially mark the start of the disarmament process.
President Erdoğan acknowledged the ongoing progress during a cabinet meeting, stating, “We are pleased with the steps taken toward a terror-free Türkiye.”
He described the renewed peace effort as a “strategic and timely” move amid shifting regional dynamics, especially following the Gaza conflict.
While the Turkish government has yet to provide detailed mechanisms for overseeing the disarmament, it has pledged to closely monitor the process to ensure compliance and full implementation.
The initiative, driven in part by recent regional developments and internal political will, is viewed as the most significant thaw in relations between Ankara and Kurdish representatives since the collapse of peace talks in 2015.
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