The world's eyes and ears are on the ceremony to be held in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Federal Kurdistan Region. The PKK, which was founded by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on Newroz in 1973 at the Çubuk Dam in Ankara and announced its establishment on 27 November 1978 in the village of Fis in the Licê district of Amed (Diyarbakır), has taken a historic step. A group of PKK members destroyed their weapons in a ceremony. 

 

Abdullah Öcalan, together with the prisoners in Imrali Prison, made a historic call within the scope of the ‘Peace and Democratic Society Process.’ In the video call published on 9 July, he emphasised, "The stage we have reached requires us to take new steps in practice.I believe not in the arms, but in the power of politics and social peace and call on you to put this principle into practice." 

 

The KCK responded to Abdullah Öcalan's call, stating, “We are determined to take the step that Leader Apo wants us to take.” The KCK statement  stressed that process must be approached correctly, and the necessary steps must be taken. 

 

ANF published the group's statement after the ceremony. The statement reads as follows: 

 

“To Our People and the Public Opinion  

 

As the members of the ‘Group for Peace and Democratic Society’, formed to  accelerate the process of Democratic Change and Transformation, we respectfully greet you and all those who witness our historic democratic move.  

 

In order to defend the existence of the Kurds against the denial and annihilation offenses, we, as the freedom fighters, male and female, joined the PKK, at different times, and waged freedom struggle, in different regions. We are now here to respond to the call Kurdish People’s Leader, Abdullah Öcalan, made on June 19, 2025. Our coming here is, at the same time, based on the call Leader Abdullah Öcalan earlier made on February 27, 2025, and on the resolutions of PKK’s 12th Congress, which convened on 5-7 May, 2025.  

 

In order to ensure the practical success of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’  process, to wage our freedom, democracy and socialist struggle with methods of legal and democratic politics on the basis of enacting laws for democratic integration, we voluntarily destroy our weapons, before your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination.  

 

We wish that this step will bring about peace and freedom and will have auspicious outcomes for our people, the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East, and all humanity, particularly women and the youth.  

 

We agree wholeheartedly with the remarks of Leader Abdullah Öcalan  who maintained ‘I believe not in the arms, but in the power of politics and social peace and call on you to put this principle into practice’. We take great pride and honor in doing what is necessary for this historic principle.  

 

As you know, things did not come about with ease, at no cost, and without waging struggle. Quite the contrary, all gains came at heavy costs, through struggling tooth and claw. And what follows will definitely need compelling struggle. We are well aware of this fact, and with the aim of securing more democratic gains, we wholeheartedly believe in the insight and paradigm of Leader Abdullah Öcalan as we trust ourselves and the collective power of our community of comrades. 

 

Given the rising fascist pressure and exploitation around the globe and current bloodbath in the Middle East, our people are more than ever in need of a peaceful, free, equal and democratic life. In such a context we fully feel and comprehend the greatness, righteousness and urgency of the step we have taken.  

 

We hope that everyone, the youth and the women, laborers and workers, socialist and democratic forces, all the peoples, and the humanity will observe, comprehend, and appreciate the historic value of our step for peace and democracy.  

 

We call on regional and global forces responsible for the sufferings of our people, to respect the utmost legitimate democratic and national rights of our people and support the process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’.  

 

We call on all the peoples, socialist and democratic circles, intellectuals, writers, academics, lawyers, artists, and politicians to rightly comprehend our historic step and stand in solidarity with our people. We also call on them to take a more active part in the struggle for the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Öcalan and democratic solution of the Kurdish question, and to develop and strengthen the global democratic socialist international struggle and solidarity.  

 

We call on our people and their political forces to rightly comprehend the characteristics of this historic process of 'Peace and Democratic Society' developed by Leader APO, to successfully discharge their duties and responsibilities in educational, organizational  and operational fields, and to develop democratic life.  

 

Oppression and exploitation will end; freedom and solidarity will prevail. 

 

The process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ will surely succeed.  

 

The Group for Peace and Democratic Society 

 

July 11, 2025"