The liberation of his historical leader, his Abdullah Ocalanwho is held in a Turkish prison, calls for the Kurdistan Labor Party (PKK) in order to continue the peace process with Turkey.
‘It is our first claim and a basic condition [η απελευθέρωση του Οτσαλάν] To continue the peace process, “said the leader of the PKK women’s organization, and KCK’s co -chairman Besé Hozat, after the symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq was completed.
“If this is not the case, it is little likely to continue successfully,” she added in an interview with the French Agency.
Hozat also said that the PKK would like to participate in Turkey’s political life. “The Turkish state must give us the right to participate in democratic policy (…) we are ready and willing to commit to Turkey’s democratic policy,” he assured.
At the same time, however PKK is asking for security guarantees so that its fighters can return to Turkey. “Without legal and constitutional guarantees we will end up either in prison or dead,” Besé Hozat said.
It is noted that Today (11.07.2025) the PKK disarmament process beganwith the delivery of weapons by a group of guerrillas of the Kurdistan Labor Party (PKK) near the city of Suleimaniya in northern Iraq.
Her weapons handed over a group of 30 PKK members, 15 women and 15 menin a symbolic ceremony that took place near the city of Suleimaniya on the outskirts of Mount Kadil where the main base of the organization’s armed.
Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party burned their weapons near the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya, marking a symbolic but significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group https://t.co/iv2jAPG80d pic.twitter.com/vt8vREXSUV
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 11, 2025
This ceremony essentially marks the formal start of disarmament expected, according to Turkish officials, to last for two to five months. Weapons delivered were rejected in a cauldron who had been prepared and then surrendered to the fire in order to be destroyed.
The event was not allowed to allow the entry of image and audio recording and, as the visual material had been announced in advance, was distributed to the media after the event.
Erdogan – Ankara reactions
Message on the occasion of the start of the disarmament of PKK members posted on his account on the X platform Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wishing This development to lead to positive developments for Turkeythe people and the wider area.
Specifically, in his message, the Turkish president states: “I wish the important step that has taken our goal for a Turkey without terrorism to be the beginning of positive developments today. I hope that the Great God will help us achieve our goals in this struggle we give for the security of our country, the peace of our nation and the consolidation of permanent peace in our region. “
I wish that the important step taken today on the road to our target of Türkiye without terrorism will be instrumental in charity.
The security of our country, the peace of our nation and the establishment of permanent peace in our region in this way we walk to the Almighty Allah will reach our goals.
– Recep Tayyip Erdogan (@rtterdogan) July 11, 2025
Earlier, Ankara welcomed the ceremony as ‘Turning point without returning’ on the way to a future without terrorism.
“The deposition of weapons by the PKK in Suleimaniya – a landmark in the third phase of the ongoing disarmament and self -disclosure process – marks a specific and welcome step towards ending the group’s ten -year campaign of violence,” said a senior Turkish official.
He added that “Turkey remains committed to supporting all efforts that prioritize disarmament, stability and constant reconciliation in the region.”
The symbolic speech at the disarmament ceremony
Speech at the ceremony was addressed by the head of the PKK women’s organization and co -chair of KCK organization Besé Hozat, who said:
“We came here in response to the appeal of the leader (ed. Abdullah Ocalan) to determine our attitude. We took the weapons against the denial and the disappearance (ed. Of Kurdish identity) in order to boost this process. We are fighters of freedom. We take this step with the call of the leader of the leader, with the call of 27 February 2025, on the occasion of the 12th PKK conference. “
«From now on, in order to continue our struggle for freedom, democracy and socialism with democratic political and legal means And on the basis of the establishment of laws on democratic integration, we are destroying our weapons with free will, ”said a statement by the so -called” social group of peace and democracy “expressing PKK positions.
WATCH: PKK lays down weapons and burns them in a symbolic ceremony pic.twitter.com/kta1bOUD43
– Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) July 11, 2025
In one of the first reactions, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman, Omer Celik said that “at this stage, a crucial threshold has been exceeded towards achieving the target for” Turkey without terrorism “. From now on, the process of dismantling all the annexes and illegal structures of the PKK, as well as the burning/delivery of weapons, must be completed in a short period of time. “
Present at the ceremony, beyond the PKK memberswere Representatives of the Autonomous Kurdish Government and the Kurdish parties of northern Iraq, Turkish officials mainly executives of information service MIT, leaders of the pro -Kurdish party of equality and democracy (DEM) which has previously been mediated between the Turkish government and the prisoner of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, representatives of non -governmental organizations and Turkish and international media journalists.
For tomorrow (12.07.2025), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been announced in relation to the process called by Ankara ‘Turkey without terrorism’.
The Conference of the Kurdistan Labor Party in May 2025 had decided to self -dissolution of the organization and end its armed action, aligned with the appeal of the prison leader of Abdullah Ocalan, who yesterday (09.07.2025) officially declared the end of PKK’s armed match.
Abdullah Ocalan Speaks from Turkish Prison – Full Imrali Statement with English Subtitles. pic.twitter.com/1Ws64IcwO2
– Karim Franceschi (@karimfrances) July 9, 2025
Abdullah Ocalan from prison on the island of Imrali had appealed on 27 February 2025to dismantle the PKK and his disarmament, responding to the proposal of President Erdogan’s government partner, extreme nationalist Devlet Bachseli.
“PKK’s founding leadership kept its promise, stood behind its commitment and recognized the global and regional threats in a timely manner. Indeed, we live days of great importance, both for Turkey and for our region“Bachseli said shortly after the destruction of weapons by the Kurdish organization.
He also argued that “the DEM, maintaining a prudent and responsible political line, remained honestly faithful to the goal of a” Turkey without terrorism “and” with balanced and well -known statements and estimates, took its place in favor of the millennium fraternity. “