(Adnkronos) – About thirty PKK militants, men and women in uniform, destroyed their weapons by setting them on fire in a symbolic ceremony in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, thus responding to the call for disarmament that their leader, Adbullah Ocalan, had made on 27 February. Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw reports this, speaking of a historic day and sharing videos of militants laying down rifles and ammunition, as well as a machine gun and a rocket launcher, which are set on fire in front of a crowd of about three hundred people who applauded and cried. Representatives of Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK were also present, as well as Turkish intelligence agents.
The ceremony, which took place in a symbolic location as explained by the Firat news agency, represents a turning point in the PKK’s path from armed struggle to political commitment. It is therefore a further step towards ending a 40-year conflict with Turkey that has caused more than 40,000 deaths. “In order to ensure the practical success of the ‘peace and democratic society’ process, we voluntarily destroy our weapons as a gesture of goodwill and determination,” reads a PKK statement. “We hope that this step will bring peace and freedom,” the text continues.
Ankara hailed the ceremony as an “irreversible turning point” on the road to peace. “The laying down of arms by PKK militants in Sulaimaniyah, a milestone in the third phase of the ongoing disarmament and dismantling process, marks a concrete and welcome step,” a senior Turkish official said. The ceremony was the result of months of indirect talks between jailed PKK founder Ocalan and Ankara, which began in October with the blessing of Turkish President Recep Tayyp Erdogan and facilitated by the pro-Kurdish Turkish party DEM. Last May, the PKK announced its dissolution.
Tension rose before the ceremony, when two drones were shot down overnight near Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga bases, one in Sulaimaniyah and the other in Kirkuk, according to local officials. It is unclear who is responsible for the attacks.
