ANKARA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye is preparing for the next phase of a disarmament process involving the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with official verification of weapon handovers required before eligible members can return, the local Hurriyet Daily News newspaper reported Monday.
According to the report, Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization is coordinating with authorities in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government on a monitored weapons-handover process in northern Iraq where the PKK has hideouts.
The process is being implemented under a landmark law adopted by Türkiye earlier this month to provide a legal framework for the country's "terror-free Türkiye" initiative and the reintegration of eligible former PKK members.
Although the legislation is already in force, its provisions on postponing investigations, trials and prison sentences can only be activated after security authorities determine that the PKK and affiliated structures have ended their operational activities and surrendered all weapons and ammunition, according to the report.
Türkiye's parliament on Aug. 10 approved a legal framework for the disarmament and reintegration of the PKK, a key step toward ending a decades-long conflict.
The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state, which began in 1984, has claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to widely cited estimates.
In May 2025, the PKK announced its decision to disarm and disband, following a call by Abdullah Ocalan, its founder, to end the armed struggle. ■
