Iraq welcomes PKK’s disarmament as step toward regional stability

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
11 Jul 2025 21:57
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Iraq supports the PKK’s decision to begin disarmament near Sulaymaniyah, calling it a key step toward ending armed struggle, enhancing Iraq-Turkey cooperation, and boosting regional stability.

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Forces of the regional Kurdish administration secure the area of the Jasana Cave ahead of a symbolic disarmament ceremony by the separatist PKK group as part of the peace process with Turkey, in Sulaymaniyah governorate, Iraq, July 11, 2025 (AP)

Iraq has welcomed the launch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) disarmament process, which began on Friday near the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The move marks the first step in the PKK’s previously declared commitment to abandon armed struggle after more than four decades of conflict.

In an official statement, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the disarmament move as a significant development, calling it the beginning of a practical path toward demilitarization. The ministry said the step represents a real opportunity to reinforce stability and promote lasting reconciliation in the region, adding that such efforts could help end repeated cycles of violence and open the door to peaceful coexistence.

The ministry reaffirmed Iraq’s full support for the PKK disarmament process, emphasizing that it “paves the way for a new phase of constructive cooperation with the neighboring Republic of Turkey, based on joint efforts to address security challenges.” This, it added, would serve to protect the sovereignty and security of both Iraq and Turkey.

The first phase of the #Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) disarmament officially began on Friday with a ceremony in northern Iraq, marking the implementation of the party’s dissolution and the formal launch of a peace process aimed at ending decades of conflict with Turkey.

The… pic.twitter.com/zmf2xwR1kA
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 11, 2025

Baghdad also expressed hope that the initiative would help close a long chapter of political, security, and social tensions in the region. It called for the move to become a starting point for responsible regional dialogue aimed at addressing the roots of ongoing crises and fostering security and development for the benefit of all regional peoples.

According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Turkey, the first group of PKK fighters began handing over their weapons on Friday, as part of a formal disarmament ceremony in line with the party’s decision to end its armed struggle.

PKK officially disbands

Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan announced the formal cessation of the banned group's armed campaign against Turkey on July 9, in a video message that constituted his first appearance since he was imprisoned in 1999.

In a June-recorded message published Wednesday by Firat News Agency, Öcalan urged Turkey's parliament to establish a monitoring committee for voluntary disarmament and initiate comprehensive peace efforts.

Öcalan declared that the PKK has abandoned its separatist objectives and national liberation doctrine, asserting that with Kurdish identity now recognized in Turkey, the group's founding purpose has been achieved, making its armed struggle unnecessary.

The jailed leader of the PKK demanded that weapons be publicly handed over to official authorities to ensure transparency and demonstrate commitment to peace, while stressing the need for a legally recognized disarmament process supervised by parliament.

Turkey and the PKK came to an agreement aimed at ending the decades-long armed conflict and transitioning the group entirely into legal political activity, after reaching a ceasefire in March.