Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called PKK disarmament a major turning point in Turkey’s long and tragic past. On Saturday, addressing party members in Ankara, Erdogan declared the end of the decades-long “trouble of terrorism,” as caused by the PKK, to be near.
What’s Happening?
More recently, it seems as though PKK (“Kurdish Workers Party”) members living in the mountain areas of Iraq are beginning to lay down their arms. They are doing this as part of a peace process under the Turkish government and Kurdish groups. The goal is to slowly defuse the violence going on in the region while building a relationship and trust between the two sides. The Turkish government believes that if the process is smooth over the next 3 months, it will facilitate more understanding and stability.
https://x.com/WIONews/status/1943994296799310011
Peace talks are becoming stronger
Sources following the peace talks said both sides are doing their part in order to stop any more bloodshed. Local leaders/community business leaders in Iraq and Turkey are in support of the peace process and hope that it will be a permanent end to the violence.
The peace process is still too new and hasn’t formalized yet; welcome the only action taken so far; the folks are laying down arms, and hope for a bona fide peaceful future we all desire – something that families in this region have been waiting for.
https://x.com/BBCWorld/status/1943537051543949794
PKK Fighters Burning Weapons in Symbolic Ceremonies
Erdogan’s remarks came just a day after male and female PKK fighters in northern Iraq threw their rifles and machine guns into a giant cauldron of fire, probably the most powerful and symbolic first step toward disarmament in the ongoing peace process. The move came after a call by Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned PKK leader, earlier this year calling on the group to hold a congress, disband, and give up its arms. After some deliberation, the PKK did hold its congress, and to the world, announced it intended to disarm.
