Türkiye, Iraq step up talks on PKK disarmament plan

Türkiye’s intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın is set to travel to Baghdad on July 8 for high-level meetings as Türkiye awaits steps toward the disarmament of PKK amid a peace initiative.

Kalın’s visit comes amid increasing momentum in the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative. The process led to PKK’s declaration of a ceasefire in March and later its decision to disband and disarm in line with a call from its jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

Talks in Baghdad are expected to focus on coordinating the logistics of the disarmament process, including when and where weapons will be surrendered and destroyed, reports said.

A first group of PKK members is expected to lay down their arms under joint supervision by Turkish, Iraqi and Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) officials, daily Hürriyet reported on July 2. The process could reportedly culminate in full disarmament by September.

Kalın’s trip to Baghdad follows a series of meetings last week with top officials in Erbil, including KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and senior security officials.

Delegations from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) were recently allowed to visit Öcalan on the İmralı prison island off Istanbul and have since held talks with political leaders, including Erdoğan.

The president’s key ally, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, has emerged as a key supporter of the initiative.

Following his trip to Baghdad, Kalın is expected to visit Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş in Ankara. The two are likely to discuss the planned establishment of a parliamentary commission to oversee and coordinate the peace process.

Kurtulmuş held consultations on June 24 with representatives from six political parties to outline the structure, legal basis and proposed timeline of the commission. The parties are expected to continue negotiations in the coming days.

The idea of a commission was first floated by Bahçeli, who last year suggested that jailed PKK leader Öcalan could address parliament if he denounced terrorism.

During the talks, all parties expressed opinions on whether the body should be created through a special law or modeled after earlier mechanisms.

The parliament remains in session beyond its scheduled recess amid the DEM Party’s push for the commission’s swift establishment.

PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News