'A New Page in History Has Been Opened,' Says Erdoğan
Erdoğan hails PKK disarmament as a “historic victory,” marking the end of a 40-year conflict. He declares a new era for Türkiye, emphasizing that no concessions were made, and vows peace, unity, and development. A parliamentary body will oversee the peace process, he said.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday declared victory following the start of the disarmament of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters, marking the end of a decades-long armed conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK.
Friday’s symbolic weapons destruction ceremony, held in the Kurdistan Region’s Jasana cave in the Surdash area in Sulaimani, marked a significant turning point as the PKK began transitioning from armed insurgency to democratic politics. The move is part of a broader peace effort to end one of the region’s longest-running and bloodiest conflicts.
“Türkiye has won. Eighty-six million citizens have won,” Erdoğan said. “We know what we are doing. Nobody needs to worry or ask questions. We are doing all this for Türkiye, for our future.”
Erdoğan emphasized the magnitude of the conflict’s toll, stating that 10,000 Turkish soldiers were killed in the war with the PKK, thousands of villages were destroyed, and the economic cost exceeded two trillion dollars. “Due to mistakes of the state, many of our villages were destroyed,” he said. “It is now a new era for our country; a new page has been opened in Türkiye’s history.”
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, seeking greater Kurdish rights and autonomy, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. In May 2025, the group announced its decision to disband and disarm, following a call from its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to end the armed struggle and shift to democratic politics.
Erdoğan credited military operations in Iraq and developments in Syria, along with strong political coordination with his alliance partner, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, for facilitating the disarmament. He said the PKK’s decision came in response to a call from Imrali Island, referring to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Framing the developments as a national milestone, Erdoğan stated: “As of yesterday, God willing, the 47-year scourge of terrorism has entered a phase of termination.”
He emphasized that the government’s efforts were not based on negotiations or concessions. “The terror-free Türkiye project we have pursued in recent years is not the result of negotiations, bargaining, or any give-and-take process,” Erdoğansaid.
“The wall of terror is being demolished, and we have entered the final stage of ending terrorism,” he added. However, Erdoğan acknowledged that the end of violence would not please all parties, saying, “Ending terrorism is not to the liking of some people; with the end of terrorism, some people will become unemployed.”
The Turkish president announced that a parliamentary commission will be established to manage the legal dimensions of the peace process. “As the People’s Alliance—AK Party, Nationalist Movement Party, and the DEM delegation—we will, God willing, bring this process forward together,” he said.
He added that he had previously met with the late Sırrı Süreyya Önder, and more recently with DEM Party leaders Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, to discuss the next steps of the peace process.
Erdoğan also underlined regional engagement, noting that the steps taken had received support from Kurdish communities in Iraq and Syria. “Not only the matters of our Kurdish citizens in Türkiye, but also of our Kurdish brothers in Iraq and Syria are—do not forget—our concern,” he said, referencing positive feedback from the U.S. envoy to Syria.
During his address, Erdoğan called for unity and peace, declaring: “From today onwards, we will solve problems through dialogue and promote brotherhood."
"I thank all those who supported the peace process. I thank the Kurdistan Regional Government, which supported the success of the process. We will now direct our energy toward our fundamental mission. We will mobilize our resources not for fighting terrorism, but for development, for prosperity, and for a thriving and victorious Türkiye,” he concluded.
