Nechirvan Barzani, Iraq's National Security Advisor Discuss PKK Disarmament Ahead of Landmark Ceremony

Peregraf

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met Wednesday with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji in Erbil to discuss key security issues, just two days before a landmark ceremony in Sulaymaniyah province where the first group of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters is expected to lay down their arms.

According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the meeting focused on "the latest developments in Iraq’s security situation" and stressed the need for continued coordination between Iraqi and Kurdish security forces.

The two officials also discussed recent progress in the peace process between the PKK and Turkey, including "the latest efforts and steps" to ensure a peaceful transition. The meeting comes amid historic developments following the PKK’s 12th Congress in May and an unexpected announcement from the group’s imprisoned leader.

Earlier today, Abdullah Öcalan appeared in a video message—his first public appearance in 26 years of imprisonment—to declare a strategic shift for the PKK. Öcalan said the group has officially renounced its pursuit of a nation-state and will transition from armed struggle to democratic political engagement.

"The details of the laying down of the arms will be specified and expeditiously implemented," Öcalan stated.

The upcoming ceremony on Friday, July 11, in eastern Sulaymaniyah province is set to mark the first formal disarmament of PKK fighters, signaling the beginning of the group’s dissolution as a militant organization.

The Barzani-Araji meeting is seen as a crucial step in preparing the political and security landscape for what could become a defining moment in Iraq’s post-conflict stabilization efforts.