Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) began handing over their weapons on Friday in a ceremony near the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah, in what is seen as the group's first formal step towards becoming a political movement after nearly four decades of armed conflict with Turkey.
Thirty PKK members, including four senior commanders, burned their weapons inside a cave in the mountainous Jasnah area of Surdash subdistrict. The symbolic event follows the group's May declaration to end its insurgency, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984.
The disarmament ceremony was held under tight security and attended by Turkish and Kurdish officials from the autonomous Kurdistan Region, as well as Iraqi security representatives.
While the PKK had stated in email invitations that both local and international media were welcome to cover the event, Kurdish security forces affiliated with the ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) blocked dozens of journalists from reaching the site. Those denied access included foreign reporters and The New Arab's correspondent in Iraq.
Instead, the PUK gave priority coverage to its affiliated outlets, including Channel 8.
Several frustrated journalists said they had travelled long distances to cover what they described as a historic moment, only to be prevented from attending. "It was complete chaos," one reporter told TNA. Security forces also reportedly confiscated equipment and forced some journalists to delete recorded material.
Sulaimaniyah, once regarded as a bastion of press freedom in the region, has come under growing criticism from local journalists and international media watchdogs, who say press conditions have worsened under PUK control.
The PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan in the late 1970s, formally announced its dissolution and the beginning of a disarmament process on 12 May, following a call from Öcalan issued from prison on Imrali Island in late February. The group declared a unilateral ceasefire on 1 March.
The transition is expected to culminate in the establishment of a new political party in Turkey by 2026.
Turkey, the United States, and the European Union classify the PKK as a "terrorist organisation". However, many Kurds in Turkey hope the group’s shift to politics could pave the way for a negotiated settlement with Ankara and renewed rights for the Kurdish minority, which makes up around 20 percent of Turkey's population of 85 million.
Speaking to TNA via email, PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa said the group does not consider the move as "laying down arms" or "disarmament".
"This signifies our seriousness, determination and sincerity in abandoning the strategy of military struggle and adopting democratic politics," Hiwa said. "No weapon will be handed over to anybody, nor will anyone surrender. Our fighters will destroy their weapons and return to base in preparation for democratic integration."
He added that any meaningful transition "depends entirely on the political will of the Turkish authorities and the constitutional and legal changes they are willing to make" to enable such integration.