Pro-Kurdish Delegation from Turkey Arrives in Zakho Ahead of Historic PKK Disarmament Ceremony
“We have come to the Kurdistan Region to witness a turning point,” Bayındır said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A delegation of pro-Kurdish political parties from Turkey arrived in the Zakho district of Duhok province on Thursday to attend a landmark disarmament ceremony for a group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters, scheduled to take place on Friday.
The delegation, led by Keskin Bayındır, co-chair of Turkey’s Democratic Regions Party (DBP), was welcomed by Kurdistan Region officials upon crossing the border. Speaking at a press conference in Zakho, Bayındır described the upcoming event as a “historic day.”
“We have come to the Kurdistan Region to witness a turning point,” Bayındır said. “As representatives of all communities and parties in Turkey, we are here to observe the disarmament of several PKK fighters in response to the call of Abdullah Ocalan. However, disarmament does not signify the end of the Kurdish issue in Turkey.”
Bayındır expressed hope that the process would bring happiness and renewed hope to Kurds across the region. “Every Kurdish individual supports this process and welcomes its success,” he stated.
Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, reaffirmed the Region's commitment to peace, calling the initiative “a vital and decisive process.”
“The Kurdistan Region has always advocated for peace,” Shahab said. “President Masoud Barzani has made major efforts to end war and conflict in the region.”
The first phase of the disarmament initiative will take place in Sulaimani province, where 30 to 40 PKK fighters are expected to lay down their arms in an official ceremony.