PKK fighters burn weapons in Al-Sulaymaniyah ceremony
Shafaq News - Al-Sulaymaniyah
On Friday, dozens of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters, both men and women, burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in Al-Sulaymaniyah.
The event was attended by representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as well as officials from Baghdad and Ankara, civil society organizations, and journalists.
Mola Nader, a member of the Group for Peace and Democratic Society, told Shafaq News that the fighters have since returned to Jasana Mountain, calling on the Turkish government to issue a general amnesty and reintegrate them into society. He also urged constitutional reforms toward a more inclusive citizenship-based framework.
In a statement, the group confirmed that it acted in response to PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan’s call and the party’s 12th congress resolutions, declaring its intention to pursue “the struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism” through legal means, in line with its ideological commitment.
“The regional context is increasingly violent, with the Middle East turning into a bloodbath,” the statement added, arguing that the need for peaceful solutions was more urgent than ever.
The group urged regional and international powers to respect the Kurdish people’s legitimate rights and to back the peace process, calling on all political actors to fulfill their roles in education, grassroots organization, and democratic development.
On May 12, the PKK officially announced its dissolution and renounced armed struggle, ending more than four decades of conflict that killed over 40,000 people.
