President Tayyip Erdogan declared on Saturday that an historic turning point had been reached in Türkiye’s four-decade conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after 30 fighters burned their weapons in northern Iraq.
Thirty PKK fighters torched rifles and explosives at the mouth of a cave in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains on Friday, the first formal surrender of arms since the insurgency began in 1984.
“As of yesterday, the scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending,” President Erdogan told party supporters in Istanbul. “Today is a new day; a new page has opened in history.”
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the European Union and the U.S., has waged an on-off guerrilla campaign that Ankara says has cost more than 40,000 lives. Previous ceasefire efforts collapsed in 2015, and the group’s top leadership remains outside Türkiye’s jurisdiction in the rugged Iraq–Iran border region.
Friday’s symbolic disarmament involves only a fraction of the estimated 5,000 to 10,000 PKK combatants still active across Iraq, Syria and south-east Türkiye, analysts note. No timetable has been announced for further hand-overs or for political talks.
Turkish media reported that government officials had verified the fighters identities before the ceremony, but the interior ministry did not immediately comment on whether amnesties would be offered.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy S...
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks ...
Iran is pursuing a dual-track strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, balancing cooperation with South Korea while increasing military pressure, as tensi...
Around 14% of Central Asia’s population - about 12 million people - are facing food shortages, according to the United Nations. The...
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and productio...
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks with Iran, the White House said.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Around 14% of Central Asia’s population - about 12 million people - are facing food shortages, according to the United Nations. The issue was a central focus at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana.
Türkiye sent six trucks carrying critical medical supplies to Iran on Thursday, reinforcing humanitarian assistance amid challenging cross-border conditions.
Afghanistan is exploring new business opportunities in cotton, tourism and minerals following trade and investment talks this week with officials from Uzbekistan and Türkiye.
Georgia is entering a pivotal economic and geopolitical phase, as talks with China to expand a free trade agreement coincide with renewed progress on the Anaklia Deep Sea Port.
The European Union has introduced new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan under its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first time a Central Asian country has faced measures targeting an entire trade channel.
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