Thirty PKK members, half of them women, publicly destroyed their guns on Friday in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province, the clearest sign yet that the outlawed group is moving to dismantle its four-decade armed campaign.
The fighters emerged from a cave in the Surdas sub-district before hurling rifles and grenades into a blazing cauldron, according to footage released by Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency. A senior commander then read a joint statement in Turkish and Kurdish declaring the “end of armed struggle.”
Officials from Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation, Iraqi security services and the semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government witnessed the event, alongside members of Türkiye’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party and local NGOs.
Ankara says the gesture follows the PKK’s formal decision in May to dissolve its military wing, announced three months after jailed founder Abdullah Ocalan urged an unconditional ceasefire from his cell on İmralı island.
The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984, government figures show. The group, which operates from mountain bases in northern Iraq, is designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the U.S. and the European Union.
While Friday’s ceremony marks the first verified surrender of weapons, analysts cautioned that splinter factions could resist the move. No timetable has been set for the handover of remaining fighters or for political talks with Ankara.
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Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
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At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
A high-powered lawyer representing Elon Musk attacked the personal and professional credibility of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday, as a landmark federal trial in California nears its conclusion.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously - one focused on immigration and national identity, the other held in support of Palestinians and to mark Nakba Day.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to project stability and renewed dialogue during a closely watched summit in Beijing this week, even as major disagreements over Taiwan, trade and global security remained unresolved.
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