The Kurdistan Workers’ Party will start laying down its weapons in a tightly guarded ceremony near Suleymaniyah in Iraq on Friday, launching what Ankara and Kurdish leaders call the first real step towards ending more than 40 years of conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
A small PKK delegation is expected to surrender arms at an undisclosed site in Iraq’s Kurdish region before returning to its mountain bases, officials briefed on the arrangements said. Broader disarmament points—jointly overseen by the Turkish, Iraqi and Kurdistan regional authorities—are due to operate throughout the summer.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the move as “totally ripping off and throwing away the bloody shackles that were put on our country’s legs,” describing it as an historic chance to dismantle what Türkiye, the U.S., the EU and the UK classify as a terrorist organisation.
Imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, held in solitary confinement on Imrali Island since 1999, urged the group in a rare video message “to put politics and social peace, not weapons, into practice.” Kurdish analysts say the 76-year-old still commands decisive authority among supporters.
The latest push follows an initiative by nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli last October to create a “terror-free Türkiye.” Ocalan’s February letter calling for the PKK to dissolve itself paved the way for a unilateral ceasefire and Friday’s ceremony.
A parliamentary commission in Ankara will draft next steps after the summer recess, though officials stress no decision on easing Ocalan’s prison terms—or any wider amnesty—will be taken before MPs vote on the panel’s recommendations.
If successful, analysts say the demobilisation could reshape security dynamics not only in Türkiye but also in neighbouring Iraq, Syria and Iran, where PKK-linked groups operate.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov landed in North Korea, marking another step in the growing strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In a show of diplomatic unity, Italian and French foreign ministers met in Rome to address global crises, calling for urgent ceasefires and coordinated support on Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran.
President Donald Trump toured flood-hit areas in Texas and expanded federal disaster assistance to eight more counties.
Washington and Ottawa are once again at odds, as President Trump unveils a sharp new tariff on Canadian goods—citing drug trafficking and trade disputes just weeks ahead of a key deadline.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was successfully held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, highlighting the region’s revival and the deepening economic cooperation among member states.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
The U.S. is set to support Lebanon’s military readiness with a $100 million deal to sustain A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, enhancing the Lebanese Armed Forces’ ability to uphold the recent ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
The U.S. unexpectedly recorded a $27 billion budget surplus in June, reversing last year’s deficit. This improvement reflects stronger customs collections and significant cuts in education spending amid ongoing fiscal challenges.
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Norway could soon receive a major boost to its airborne defence, as Washington signals readiness to expand military cooperation through a new high-value arms deal.
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