Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called for full support in the disarmament of Kurdish militants, marking a significant step towards ending decades-long insurgency against Turkey. Thirty PKK militants recently burned their weapons at a cave in northern Iraq, symbolizing the end of the conflict.
Erdogan views this as an opportunity for the country to move forward, stating that “the scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending” and that a new page has opened in history. He hopes parliament will support the disarmament process with broad participation, aiming to set up a legal framework for its completion.
Turkey is taking steps towards forming a parliamentary commission to oversee the disarmament and PKK’s transition into democratic politics. This initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end an insurgency that has caused over 40,000 deaths and deepened social and political divisions in Turkey and the wider region.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-page-opened-turkey-following-pkk-disarmament-erdogan-says-2025-07-12