Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party will soon destroy their weapons as a “goodwill gesture” to signal their commitment to disarming after decades of conflict with Turkey, two commanders said.
The planned disarmament marks a turning point in the militant group’s transition from armed insurgency to political negotiation, as part of a broader effort to end one of the region’s longest-running conflicts.
The group declared an end to its armed campaign in May—a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984 and long strained Turkey’s relations with its Kurdish population and regional neighbours.
“As a gesture of goodwill, a number of PKK fighters, who had taken part in fighting Turkish forces in recent years, will destroy or burn their weapons in a ceremony in the coming days,” the commander said, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The move was confirmed by another commander who also spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party—widely known by its Kurdish initials PKK—has led a decades-long armed campaign for Kurdish rights in Turkey and is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.
In recent months, the PKK has taken several historic steps, starting with a ceasefire and culminating in its formal dissolution announced on May 12.
