Weapons down: PKK plans dissolution after decades of conflict

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is expected to
announce its dissolution and begin disarmament across Iraq, Turkiye, and Syria,
media outlets reported on Sunday.

The process, viewed as a major turning point after decades of armed
conflict, remains contingent on the fate of the group’s senior leadership.
According to Al-Hadath, Turkiye has not approved the return of several top
commanders, prompting discussions around their relocation to a third country.

Members unable to relocate may remain in designated areas inside
Iraq, under arrangements to be finalized with Iraqi authorities.

Plans also include the establishment of weapons collection centers
in all three countries. Intelligence agencies from Turkiye, Iraq, and Syria are
expected to coordinate the disarmament process under a joint framework.

Last week, the PKK concluded its 12th general congress, described
by the group as “successful” and “historic,” though no further details have
been made public.

Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, issued the disarmament call in
February. His message, delivered through visiting members of the pro-Kurdish
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), urged a full disarmament and formal
dissolution.

If carried out, the move would mark a potential end to a conflict
that has left more than 40,000 people dead since the early 1980s.