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.
Kazakhstan's economy expanded by 5% in 2024, outpacing the earlier forecast of 4.8%, according to the Ministry of National Economy....
India will not halt Russian oil purchases, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of sanctions, Indian officials told Reuters and The New York T...
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, gave an exclusive briefing to Leyla Rahimli, AnewZ TV’s correspondent st...
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has signed a $10 billion deal with Azizi Energy to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity, aiming for sel...
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, spoke to journalists at the ceremony marking the launch of natural gas transit from Azerbaijan t...
Kazakhstan's economy expanded by 5% in 2024, outpacing the earlier forecast of 4.8%, according to the Ministry of National Economy.
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, gave an exclusive briefing to Leyla Rahimli, AnewZ TV’s correspondent stationed in Kilis.
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has signed a $10 billion deal with Azizi Energy to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity, aiming for self‑sufficiency in power within a decade.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, spoke to journalists at the ceremony marking the launch of natural gas transit from Azerbaijan to Syria via Türkiye.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
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.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
India will not halt Russian oil purchases, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of sanctions, Indian officials told Reuters and The New York Times.
Kazakhstan has sent an official proposal to the United States seeking fairer trade terms after new U.S. tariffs on some Kazakh exports took effect, its Trade and Integration Ministry said.
Jordan’s armed forces said they killed two armed people during a foiled infiltration attempt from Syria on Friday, pushing the rest of the group back across the border.
Ukraine’s military says it struck an oil refinery, storage facility and military airfield inside Russia, in one of its largest cross-border drone operations since the war began.
Armenia and the United States will conduct joint military exercises in Armenia from 12 to 20 August, focusing on peacekeeping and medical evacuation tasks, the Armenian Defence Ministry said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment