“No More Disarmament Ceremonies”: PKK Says Burden Now on Ankara

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A senior Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) official has announced that the group will not hold any further weapon-laying-down ceremonies, declaring that the single, symbolic disarmament by a group of its fighters was the "necessary message" and that the onus is now on the Turkish government to take concrete, legally-binding steps to advance the peace process.

The statement from Helin Omed, a member of the PKK Central Committee, comes after a group of 30 PKK members destroyed their weapons in the Kurdistan Region on July 11. It signals a significant shift in the PKK's strategy, moving from gestures of disarmament to demanding a formal, parliamentary-backed framework for a political solution.

Following the initial ceremony, Omed clarified the PKK's current position and future intentions. "The Peace and Democratic Society Group, which burned their weapons, is now preparing for democratic political participation," she stated in a media interview. "Another weapon-laying-down ceremony will not be held again. The necessary message was delivered at the ceremony."

She indicated that the prospect of PKK members returning to Türkiye is conditional on tangible political reforms. "If constitutional changes are made, why shouldn't that group and PKK members return to Türkiye? We are changing our struggle to a political struggle," she said.

While Omed described statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding the process as "important," she asserted that "no such significant steps have been taken." She specifically pointed to the lack of progress on the status of the PKK's imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan. "At the beginning of the process, there were calls to grant Öcalan the right to hope for freedom, but so far, no change has been made in Öcalan's situation," she said.

The PKK official stressed that for the process to be viable, it must be enshrined in law by the Turkish parliament to prevent it from being derailed by future political problems.

"The authorities are taking steps for the process slowly," Omed said. "The process and the steps being taken must be legally guaranteed, because it's possible that due to problems arising, the process could be opposed."

She proposed a specific mechanism to achieve this, suggesting that a parliamentary commission should be empowered to draft legislation. "Establishing a parliamentary commission will play a significant role in overcoming obstacles, and the commission must be able to prepare draft laws for the parliament and provide laws for democracy and freedom," she argued. "These things are necessary; without them, the steps we are taking will be futile."

Underscoring the importance of resolving the decades-long conflict, she added, "The Kurdish issue is a central issue for Türkiye. If this issue is resolved, Türkiye will become an attractive country; otherwise, it will not progress. We want the door to be opened to democratic politics."

This development comes as a parliamentary commission is expected to be established in Türkiye in the coming days, tasked with preparing the legal groundwork for the PKK's disarmament.

The initial disarmament ceremony that prompted these statements took place on Friday, July 11, 2025, when a group of 30 PKK members laid down their arms in the Jasana cave in the Surdash area of Sulaimani province.