In a move many thought they’d never see, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) publicly burned its weapons in northern Iraq—an act of symbolism that could mark the beginning of the end of its four-decade armed struggle with the Turkish state. Giorgia Valente unpacks the weight of this moment [1], from cautious optimism in Ankara to mixed reactions among Kurds across Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
Driven by renewed dialogue between Kurdish lawmakers and jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, the act—led by senior female commanders—was met with a lukewarm official response. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged it as “symbolic” but signaled new possibilities for Kurdish inclusion in Turkey’s future. Experts interviewed by Valente say it’s a historic gesture, but warn that symbolism alone won’t build trust or policy reform.
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Meanwhile, across the region, armed groups aren’t exactly lining up to follow suit. In Syria, Kurdish factions remain wary, Hezbollah is still locked in combat with Israel, the Houthis continue a shaky truce, and Hamas shows no sign of disarming. Lebanon’s efforts to implement a Hezbollah ceasefire are slow and uneven. In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias remain a potent force with elections looming.
Middle East experts caution against reading too much into the PKK move as a broader trend. “The PKK wants recognition and integration,” said Dr. Mordechai Kedar. “Groups like Hezbollah or Hamas want confrontation, not inclusion.”
Valente’s reporting takes readers across borders and ideologies to show why one group’s decision to lower its guns doesn’t mean others will follow. Read the full article [1] for a nuanced take on what this disarmament does—and doesn’t—mean for the region.