Ayşegül Doğan, spokesperson for the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), was quoted as saying that the PKK terrorist group would lay down arms on Friday in Iraq. Doğan said her party would be present at the disarmament ceremony in the city of Sulaymaniyah.
The disarmament is central to the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by an ally of the Turkish government last year. The PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, held several meetings with a delegation from the DEM Party, known for its intricate links to the group, to move forward the initiative. In February, Öcalan accepted calls for the dissolution of the PKK and urged members to abandon arms in a written message. The PKK responded positively in May.
On Monday, two lawmakers from the DEM Party were received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the next steps in the initiative. Erdoğan himself said on Wednesday that at his meeting, he affirmed Türkiye’s will to put the ideal of a terror-free Türkiye into practice.
