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.
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At least four people were injured after a large fire and explosions hit a residential building in the Dutch city of Utrecht, authorities said.
Save the Children has pledged to expand maternal and child health services across Afghanistan after its new country director met the country’s public health minister in Kabul on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the international situation is worsening and that the world is becoming more dangerous, while avoiding public comment on several major global developments, including events in Venezuela and Iran.
Kazakhstan’s economy is set to slow in the coming years as external conditions deteriorate and geopolitical risks intensify, according to the latest forecast by the World Bank.
The Trump administration will suspend all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries beginning 21 January 2026, according to a State Department memo reported by media.
Saudi Arabia has informed Iran that it will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for any military action against Tehran, according to two sources close to the kingdom’s government cited by AFP.
Sweden is sending a group of military officers to Greenland at Denmark’s request, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday, as Nordic countries and NATO allies step up coordination around the Arctic territory.
Romania has reiterated its openness to discussions on a potential unification with neighbouring Republic of Moldova, following recent remarks by Moldova’s president.
Boeing booked more aircraft orders than Airbus in 2025 for the first time since 2018, official figures showed, even as the European manufacturer delivered more planes during the year.
Israel said on Thursday that its forces struck Hezbollah positions across several areas in Lebanon after accusing the group of repeated ceasefire violations.
Kazakhstan’s economy is set to slow in the coming years as external conditions deteriorate and geopolitical risks intensify, according to the latest forecast by the World Bank.
Representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia conducted a joint inspection of the Sadarak–Yeraskh railway section on January 15 as part of ongoing efforts to restore regional transport links.
Armenia has reiterated its political commitment to ensuring unimpeded transport links between Azerbaijan’s main territory and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, signalling potential progress on one of the most sensitive issues in regional negotiations.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the side lines of the ongoing Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
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