Kurdish guerrilla group PKK reaffirms peace commitment a year after burning arms

The PKK, a Kurdish guerrilla group in Turkey, marked the one-year anniversary of its symbolic arms burning by reaffirming its commitment to peace. In a statement released through its usual spokesperson, the ANF agency, the group highlighted the significant expectation generated by the July 11 event last year, where 30 guerrillas, led by Bese Hozat, destroyed their weapons near Suleimaniya in the Iraqi Kurdistan mountains.

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The ceremony of the burning of weapons made it clear that there would be no return to the strategy of armed struggle.

The PKK's statement emphasized that the arms burning signaled a definitive end to the strategy of armed struggle. "After such a clear expression of political will, the Turkish state should have taken the necessary political and legal steps towards a democratic political solution. A year later, however, these steps have still not been taken," the statement noted. While acknowledging that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, members of his AKP party, and coalition partner Devlet Bahçeli of the MHP have publicly supported the peace process, the PKK asserted that these declarations have not translated into practical action.

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After such a clear expression of political will, the Turkish state should have taken the necessary political and legal steps towards a democratic political solution. A year later, however, these steps have still not been taken.

Despite the perceived lack of government action, the PKK reiterated its dedication to pursuing a democratic political struggle. The group criticized references to a future law, intended to be adopted by Parliament, arguing that such legislation is narrowly focused on disarmament and fails to address the century-old Kurdish issue adequately. The PKK insists that a proper peace law must first determine the status of its imprisoned founder, Abdullah Öcalan, and other representative leaders.

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With all that, on the first anniversary of the arms burning ceremony, we once again reaffirm our determination to continue the path of democratic political struggle.

"Our people, as well as our liberation movement, have made it clear that they will not accept a proposal that does not allow leader Apo to live in freedom and participate in political work. This reality must be the basis of the process," the PKK declared. The peace initiative, initially proposed by Devlet Bahçeli in late 2024, led to a ceasefire in March 2025, the formal dissolution of the guerrilla force in May, and the arms burning in July of that year. However, Turkey has yet to propose a framework for reintegrating demobilized guerrillas, who remain classified as terrorists under Turkish law.

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Our people, as well as our liberation movement, have made it clear that they will not accept a proposal that does not allow leader Apo to live in freedom and participate in political work. This reality must be the basis of the process.