ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani expressed optimism for the future of the peace process between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish state after a group of fighters symbolically disarmed in a ceremony in Sulaimani on Friday.
"We are confident that this step will move the peace process to a new phase and will be followed by other practical steps that will move the process forward in the right direction,” he said in a statement released after a group of 30 PKK fighters destroyed their weapons in a ceremony held at Jasana Cave.
Barzani said he was committed "to continuing all support and backing for advancing the peace process. To this end, as always, we are ready to provide all necessary assistance and facilitation and to carry out any duty that falls upon our shoulders."
He said that all parties must prioritize efforts for a peace that will ultimately benefit Turkey and the entire region. He also conveyed his appreciation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his leadership and dedication to advancing the peace process.
Since 2022, Barzani has worked to pave the way for the ongoing peace talks between the Turkish government and the PKK, using his diplomatic relations with the international community, his spokesperson Dilshad Shahab told Rudaw earlier this month.
The PKK, established in 1978, initially sought Kurdish independence before shifting its focus to securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey.
Turkey, the United States, and the European Union have designated the group as a terrorist organization.
In February, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan urged the group to abandon its armed struggle and pursue a political path to securing Kurdish rights. The PKK responded by declaring a ceasefire on March 1, and in May, it announced its dissolution and the end of its armed struggle.
The ceremonial disarmament on Friday is seen as a gesture of good faith by the PKK, which has said Ankara must also take concrete steps towards peace.
