onlyTrustedInfo.comonlyTrustedInfo.comonlyTrustedInfo.com
Notification
Font ResizerAa
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Life
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
Reading: Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by militant Kurdish separatists
Share
onlyTrustedInfo.comonlyTrustedInfo.com
Font ResizerAa
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Life
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
Search
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Life
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
© 2025 OnlyTrustedInfo.com . All Rights Reserved.
News

Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by militant Kurdish separatists

Last updated: July 12, 2025 10:10 am
Oliver James
Share
3 Min Read
Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by militant Kurdish separatists
SHARE

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hailed start of a disarmament process by militant Kurdish separatists as the end of a “painful chapter” in Turkey’s troubled history.

Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AKP party in Ankara that the more than 40-year-old “scourge of terrorism” for which the Kurdistan Workers’ Party – or PKK – was responsible is on its way to ending.

Erdogan’s remarks came a day after male and female members of the PKK in northern Iraq cast rifles and machine guns into a large cauldron where they were set on fire. The symbolic move was seen as the first step toward a promised disarmament as part of a peace process aimed at ending four decades of hostilities.

The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm. In May the PKK announced that it would do so.

The PKK had waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey.

The conflict, which spread beyond Turkey’s borders into Iraq and Syria, killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have ended in failure — most recently in 2015.

“Today the doors of a great Turkey, a strong Turkey, a Turkish century have been opened wide,” Erdogan said.

In a statement issued on Friday, the PKK said the fighters who were laying down their weapons, saying that they had disarmed “as a gesture of goodwill and a commitment to the practical success” of the peace process.

“We will henceforth continue our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and legal means,” the statement said.

But Erdogan insisted that there had been no bargaining with the PKK. “The terror-free Turkey project is not the result of negotiations, bargaining or transactions.” Turkish officials have not disclosed if any concessions have been given to the PKK in exchange for laying down their arms.

The Turkish president also said that a parliamentary commission would be established to oversee the peace process.

You Might Also Like

Expanded hate crime bill signed into law by Gov Ferguson

Andrew Cuomo snags endorsement of ex-NY Gov. David Paterson in NYC mayoral race: ‘Workable, sensible candidate’

South Korea police detain six Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea

10 Americans freed in prisoner swap between U.S., El Salvador, Venezuela

Polar vortex triggers extreme cold warning in central U.S. as Kentucky flooding death toll rises

Share This Article
Facebook X Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article 12 Ways I’m Wearing a Dress With Cowboy Boots This Summer 12 Ways I’m Wearing a Dress With Cowboy Boots This Summer
Next Article California farmworker dies after chaotic federal immigration raid, family says California farmworker dies after chaotic federal immigration raid, family says

Latest News

Travis Kelce Says Goodbye to His Long Hair as He Returns to Familiar Buzz Cut Ahead of the Upcoming NFL Season — See the Look!
Travis Kelce Says Goodbye to His Long Hair as He Returns to Familiar Buzz Cut Ahead of the Upcoming NFL Season — See the Look!
Sports July 27, 2025
The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Seth Lugo agree to 2-year extension, AP source says
The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Seth Lugo agree to 2-year extension, AP source says
Sports July 27, 2025
England beats Spain on penalties to win Women’s Euro 2025 final
England beats Spain on penalties to win Women’s Euro 2025 final
Sports July 27, 2025
Mauricio and Soto lead Mets past Giants 5-3 for 7th straight win
Mauricio and Soto lead Mets past Giants 5-3 for 7th straight win
Sports July 27, 2025
//
  • About Us
  • Contact US
  • Privacy Policy
onlyTrustedInfo.comonlyTrustedInfo.com
© 2025 OnlyTrustedInfo.com . All Rights Reserved.