In a historic ceremony held Friday in Iraqi Kurdistan, 30 fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) publicly destroyed their weapons, marking a pivotal moment in the group’s transition from armed rebellion to democratic engagement. The event, set against the backdrop of the ancient Casene cave, follows the PKK’s decision in May 2025 to dissolve its armed struggle against Turkey, ending a four-decade conflict that claimed over 40,000 lives.

Before an audience of approximately 300, including representatives from Iraqi Kurdish authorities, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party, and Turkish intelligence officials, the fighters, dressed in khaki fatigues, laid down rifles, a machine gun, and a rocket-propelled grenade into a pit, which was then set ablaze. The crowd’s reactions ranged from cheers to tears, reflecting the emotional weight of the moment. “This voluntary destruction of our weapons is a gesture of goodwill to ensure the success of the peace and democratic society process,” the PKK declared in a statement, expressing hopes for lasting peace and freedom.

The ceremony caps months of indirect negotiations, initiated in October 2024 with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s approval, between Ankara and jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, facilitated by the DEM party. Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999 and revered by many Kurds as “Apo,” has been a central figure in the peace process. Bese Hozat, a senior PKK leader, emphasized that Ocalan’s release is a non-negotiable condition for the process’s success. “Without legal guarantees for Leader Apo’s freedom, the process is unlikely to progress,” Hozat told AFP, also demanding rights for demobilized fighters to participate in Turkey’s democratic politics.

Erdogan welcomed the disarmament, framing it as a step toward regional stability. “This path we walk for our country’s security and our nation’s peace will, God willing, lead to lasting peace in our region,” he posted on X. Analysts suggest the PKK’s military setbacks prompted this strategic shift, allowing Erdogan to claim a political victory while the group pivots to democratic advocacy for Kurdish rights.

The Casene cave, once home to a Kurdish printing press, added symbolic weight to the event. Attendees included officials representing Iraqi Kurdish leaders Nechirvan and Masoud Barzani, as well as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The ceremony followed heightened tensions, with two drones shot down near Kurdish peshmerga bases in Sulaimaniyah and Kirkuk the previous night, though no casualties were reported, and the perpetrators remain unidentified.

Ocalan’s recent call for prioritizing “the power of politics and social peace over weapons” has driven the PKK’s transformation, including a ceasefire and its formal dissolution earlier this year. The group now seeks to advance Kurdish rights through democratic means, aligning with Ocalan’s vision from his solitary confinement in Imrali prison. Erdogan noted that the disarmament process would accelerate peace efforts, signaling cautious optimism for a new chapter in Turkey’s fraught relationship with its Kurdish minority.