12.05.2025 10:51
The terrorist organization PKK announced in the final declaration published after the congress it held last week that it has laid down its arms and disbanded itself. Following this decision, there is curiosity about how the organization will surrender its weapons. It is anticipated that the weapons will be handed over under the supervision of the United Nations in Duhok, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah.
The PKK terrorist organization announced this morning that it has declared its dissolution and stated that it will lay down its arms. The details of how the process will proceed and the conditions under which the weapons will be surrendered have become clear.
CNN TÜRK Reporter Emrah Çakmak shared details regarding the PKK's disarmament process.
HOW WILL THE WEAPONS BE SURRENDERED?
What Çakmak described is as follows:
According to information conveyed by sources close to the organization, a process began with the dissolution, and the weapons will be surrendered. This will take place under UN supervision. There are three phases involved.
WEAPONS WILL BE SURRENDERED AT 3 LOCATIONS
The weapons will be surrendered under UN supervision. There will be international observers during this surrender process. The locations where the surrender will take place have been determined. It has been established that the terrorists will surrender their weapons at specific locations as part of a three-phase plan. The weapons will be left in Amediye, a district of Duhok province in northern Iraq, Binar and Köysancak in Erbil; and in the Seyid Sadık district of Sulaymaniyah.
CNN Türk News Director İdris Arıkan made the following statements regarding the upcoming process;
"The statement says that the PKK has completed its historical mission. Emphasis is placed on a solution through politics. It is clearly stated that the organizational structure will be completely dissolved, and the decision to end the armed struggle method has been made. It is said that the activities carried out under the name of the PKK have been terminated. The meeting in Çubuk, Ankara in 1973 was referenced as the beginning of the PKK. Here, the meeting in 1978 in the Fis village of Diyarbakır is referenced as the PKK's start.
EMPHASIS ON TURGUT ÖZAL
It is mentioned that the struggle has been ongoing since '78, and it is stated that its mission has been completed. There is an emphasis that former President Turgut Özal sought a solution through politics and took a step for this in the 90s. Besides that, if we read the text, we see that they emphasize that they did not feel comfortable even at the congress, and they held separate meetings in two different places for security reasons.
WHO WILL COLLECT THE WEAPONS?
They somehow convey in the text that they feel the pressure of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). There is a visual that suggests the end of a historical issue. What will happen next? This needs to be evaluated as a cautious situation. What will happen to these weapons, who will collect the weapons? It is said that initially, 3,500 non-criminal PKK members are expected to come to Turkey and surrender. It is mentioned that if they have no crimes, they will be treated accordingly. There is a story about establishing a joint commission regarding the weapons, and whether an executive can be formed through that is being discussed. There is a question of what will happen to the camps and to whom they will be surrendered. The TSK had gone in some way, and there is a topic about the destruction of tunnels in Gara, which is seen as the central command area, and preventing the reorganization of the group. It is necessary to understand from the text that the PKK is now dissolving itself. This illegal structure needs to be eliminated in some way." he said.
THE PROCESS STARTED WITH ERDOĞAN'S EMPHASIS ON INTERNAL FRONT
After President Erdoğan's emphasis on the 'internal front' in his speech at the opening of the Parliament on October 1, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli took the initiative.
BAHÇELİ'S HISTORICAL CALL
In the General Assembly, he shook hands with DEM Party members. Bahçeli also expressed the call to end terrorism for the first time at his party's group meeting on October 15.
"While being brought to Turkey, the terrorist leader who said, 'I am ready for all kinds of service,' should unilaterally declare that terrorism has ended and that his organization will be dissolved."
A week later, the address was again the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the embodiment of national will. Bahçeli stated that he stood behind his words.
President Erdoğan made his first evaluations on the subject on October 30. He emphasized his support for the process:
"With Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, our partner in the People's Alliance, putting not just his hand but his whole body under the stone, we have gained a much greater opportunity."
According to President Erdoğan, "the goal was now a 'Terror-free Turkey'." President Erdoğan pointed out that the People's Alliance is acting with a common political vision in this direction.
FIRST MEETING WITH İMRALI ON DECEMBER 28
With the developments, the DEM Party delegation, with the permission of the Ministry of Justice, went to İmralı on December 28 to hold the first meeting. The delegation then visited the Speaker of the Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. Meetings with parties in the Parliament, especially the AK Party, continued.
CALL TO "LAY DOWN ARMS" FROM İMRALI
The second meeting with İmralı was held on January 22. After that, the DEM Party delegation contacted the authorities of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. After the third meeting with İmralı on February 27, eyes turned to Istanbul. A call came from İmralı for the PKK terrorist organization to dissolve itself.
The second round of meetings of the DEM Party in the Parliament, especially with the AK Party and MHP, became one of the important cornerstones of the process. During Ramadan Bayram, the AK Party celebrated with the DEM Party for the first time in 10 years, and the MHP for the first time.
ERDOĞAN ACCEPTED THE DEM DELEGATION
Subsequently, the main and critical meeting took place at Beştepe. President Erdoğan met with DEM Party deputies Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder on April 10.
On April 21, the DEM Party delegation, which Sırrı Süreyya Önder could not attend, went to İmralı. On April 24, DEM Party officials met with Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç.
After Sırrı Süreyya Önder passed away on May 3, President Erdoğan and Bahçeli shared their condolences in succession. Bahçeli attended the memorial program for Önder in the Parliament, once again showing his support for a 'Terror-free Turkey.'
TERROR-FREE TURKEY SUCCESSFULLY REACHED ITS GOAL
The 8-month "Terror-free Turkey" process, conducted with patience, dedication, and great determination, has successfully come to an end.
First, the DEM Party announced that the terrorist organization PKK held its congress on May 5-7 and made decisions in line with İmralı's call. Then, it was announced that the PKK had made the decision to dissolve and would lay down its arms.
Thus, Turkey has overcome an important threshold by freeing itself from the terrorism problem that has persisted for nearly half a century.