PKK's disarmament marks milestone for regional peace, stability: Iraqi presidency

Baghdad, July 13 (IANS) The recent announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to begin the process of disarmament marks a major milestone in the effort to consolidate long-term peace and stability, the Iraqi presidency has said.

The PKK's disarmament process is an important and historic step toward ending decades of armed conflict and repeated security violations that have cost countless civilian lives, the Iraqi presidency said in a statement on Saturday.

This development paves the way for a more stable and secure future, strengthening the prospects for peace and constructive cooperation across the region, it read, stressing the importance of full commitment from all sides to uphold security, respect sovereignty and support the legitimate rights of all communities.

The disarmament is also expected to "reinforce bilateral relations between Iraq and Türkiye, built on mutual respect, shared interests and a common vision for regional security and prosperity," it noted.

In a June-recorded address released earlier this week from Imrali Island prison off Turkey's Istanbul, Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the PKK, declared that its over 40 years of armed struggle against Turkey for self-rule was over, and details regarding disarmament will be swiftly implemented, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared "a new page" in history for the country, as the PKK's disarmament process began.

"As of yesterday, the 47-year-long terror scourge has entered a phase of ending. Turkey has begun closing a long, painful chapter filled with anguish and tears," Erdogan said while addressing members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Kizilcahamam district, Ankara Province.

On Friday, a group of PKK militants burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in Iraq's northern Sulaymaniyah province.

"From now on, we will sit down and talk -- not with weapons or violence, not for conflict, but for unity, fraternity, and face-to-face dialogue by removing the obstacle of terror," he said.

The disarmament ceremony was attended by representatives from Turkey's National Intelligence Organization, the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraqi officials, security forces, civil society organisations, and members of the media, according to Türkiye's semi-official Anadolu Agency.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than four decades.

--IANS

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