PKK fighters begin handing over weapons at ceremony
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
US aware of report American killed in West Bank settler attack
The U.S. State Department says it is aware of the reported death of a American in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, in his 20s, died after he was beaten by Israeli settlers. A second person was also found dead in the area, a Palestinian medical source said. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, on Friday. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state.
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a part of the fence, which was set by the Israeli authorities, in Sinjil, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank May 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman/File Photo
WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was aware of the reported death of a U.S. citizen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after reports emerged of Israeli settlers fatally beating a Palestinian American.
Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the local health ministry, said Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, in his 20s, died after he was beaten by Israeli settlers on Friday evening in an attack that injured 10 others in a town north of Ramallah.
A second person was also found dead in the area, a Palestinian medical source said. There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Relatives of Musallat, who was from Tampa, Florida, were quoted by the Washington Post as saying he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers.
“We are aware of reports of the death of a U.S. citizen in the West Bank,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding the department had no further comment “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones” of the reported victim.
The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them.
The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds.
Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.
Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank.
Israeli killings of U.S. citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.
The United Nations’ highest court said last year Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East war. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state. REUTERS
Kurdish PKK militants begin handing over weapons in northern Iraq
The Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) disarmament on Friday marks an “irreversible turning point” in the peace process with Ankara, a senior Turkish official said. The arms are to be destroyed later in another ceremony attended by Turkish and Iraqi intelligence figures. The PKK decided in May to disband, disarm and end its separatist struggle after a public call to do so from its long-imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. The new initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end an insurgency that has killed over 40,000 people, burdened the economy and wrought deep social and political divisions in Turkey and the wider region. It was unclear when further handovers would take place, but the PKK has been based in northern Iraq after being pushed well beyond Turkey”s southeastern frontier in recent years. The disarmament will enable the rebuilding of Turkey’s southeast, the Turkish finance minister has said.
Dozens of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants began handing over weapons in a ceremony in a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, officials said, marking a symbolic but significant step toward ending a decades-long insurgency against Turkey.
Helicopters hovered above the mountain where the disarmament process got under way, with dozens of Iraqi Kurdish security forces surrounding the area.
The Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) disarmament on Friday marks an “irreversible turning point” in the peace process with Ankara and an opportunity to build a terror-free future, a senior Turkish official said on Friday.
“We view this development as an irreversible turning point, an opportunity to protect innocent lives and build a future free from terror,” the official said, adding Ankara would support disarmament, stability and lasting reconciliation in the region.
The weapons handover is part of the third of five stages in the broader peace process, focused on PKK disarmament and disbandment, the official said.
A separate source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the next steps involved the legal reintegration of members into society as well as efforts to heal communities and promote reconciliation.
The PKK, locked in conflict with the Turkish state and outlawed since 1984, decided in May to disband, disarm and end its separatist struggle after a public call to do so from its long-imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.
After a series of failed peace efforts, the new initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end an insurgency that has killed over 40,000 people, burdened the economy and wrought deep social and political divisions in Turkey and the wider region.
The ceremony was held inside the Jasana cave in the town of Dukan, 60 km northwest of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq’s north, according to an Iraqi security official and another regional government official.
Around 40 PKK militants and one commander were to hand over their weapons, people familiar with the plan said. It was unclear when further handovers would take place.
The PKK has been based in northern Iraq after being pushed well beyond Turkey’s southeastern frontier in recent years. Turkey’s military has regularly carried out operations and strikes on PKK bases in the region and established several military outposts there.
No footage of the ceremony has been made available yet, but Turkish broadcasters have been showing the crowds gathered near Sulaymaniyah and landscapes of the mountainous region as part of their coverage of what they said was an historic moment.
The arms are to be destroyed later in another ceremony attended by Turkish and Iraqi intelligence figures, officials of Iraq’s Kurdistan regional government, and senior members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party, which also played a key role in facilitating the PKK’s disarmament decision.
The PKK, DEM and Ocalan have all called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to address Kurdish demands for more rights in regions where Kurds form a majority, particularly the southeast where the insurgency was concentrated.
In a rare online video published on Wednesday, Ocalan also urged Turkey’s parliament to set up a commission to oversee disarmament and manage the broader peace process.
Ankara has taken steps toward forming the commission, while the DEM and Ocalan have said that legal assurances and certain mechanisms were needed to smooth the PKK’s transition into democratic politics.
Omer Celik, a spokesman for Erdogan’s AK Party, said the disarmament process should not be allowed to drag on longer than a few months to avoid it becoming subject to provocations.
Erdogan has said the disarmament will enable the rebuilding of Turkey’s southeast.
Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek has said Turkey spent nearly $1.8 trillion over the past five decades combating terrorism, endorsing the peace steps as an economic boon.
The end of NATO member Turkey’s conflict with the PKK could have consequences across the region, including in neighbouring Syria where the United States is allied with Syrian Kurdish forces that Ankara deems a PKK offshoot.
Washington and Ankara want those Kurds to quickly integrate with Syria’s security structure, which has been undergoing reconfiguration since the fall in December of autocratic President Bashar al-Assad. PKK disarmament could add to this pressure, analysts say.
Erdogan’s Peace Path: PKK Begins Weapons Handover
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the commencement of a weapons handover by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. The act marks a pivotal progression towards resolving a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
During the symbolic ceremony, thirty PKK fighters ignited their weapons at the entrance of a cave in northern Iraq. The act marks a pivotal progression towards resolving a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
Erdogan, sharing his sentiments on X, the social media platform, emphasized the hopes pinned on achieving national security and peace through this gesture.
(With inputs from agencies.)
PKK fighters burn weapons during disarming ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan
Militant fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) began handing over their weapons near the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya on Friday. The whole process is expected to take around two to five months.
Fighters were seen placing their weapons in a giant cauldron which was then set alight.
The whole process is expected to take around two to five months, Turkish broadcaster NTV said, adding that militants who hand in weapons will stay in Iraq and halt any PKK activities.
Since the PKK launched its insurgency against Turkey in 1984 – originally with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state – the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a huge economic burden and fuelled social tensions.
Ankara says skirmishes between Turkish soldiers and PKK militants in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq have continued since the group’s decision to disband, adding that Turkey was still raiding PKK storage areas and bases in the region.
Kurdish PKK militants burn weapons in Iraq to launch disarmament
Thirty Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants burn their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq. The move is part of a deal to end a long-running insurgency against the Turkish state. The end of the conflict could have wider implications for the region, including in Syria. The Kurdish government has called for more rights for the Kurds in Iraq and Syria, but the PKK says it is ready to work with the government to end the conflict. The PKK has been fighting the Turkish government for more than 30 years, mostly in the north and west of the country. It says it has killed more than 3,000 people since the conflict began in mid-1980s, including more than 1,000 in the past year. The U.S. State Department says the move is a step in the right direction, but it is not clear if it will lead to an end to the conflict in the region. The United Nations has called on all sides to work together to find a solution to the Kurdish conflict, which has been raging since mid-1990s.
Companies Disarmament process begins in northern Iraq after long-jailed leader calls on PKK to disband
Ceremony attended by Turkish, Iraqi officials and pro-Kurdish DEM party
Disarmament could bolster regional stability, including in Syria
Kurds want Turkey’s Erdogan, parliament to address demands for more rights as part of peace push
SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq, July 11 (Reuters) – Thirty Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants burned their weapons at the mouth of a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, marking a symbolic but significant step toward ending a decades-long insurgency against Turkey.
Footage from the ceremony showed the fighters, half of them women, queuing to place AK-47 assault rifles, bandoliers and other guns into a large grey cauldron. Flames later engulfed the black gun shafts pointed to the sky, as Kurdish, Iraqi and Turkish officials watched nearby.
Sign up here.
The PKK, locked in conflict with the Turkish state and outlawed since 1984, decided in May to disband, disarm and end its separatist struggle after a public call to do so from its long-imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.
After a series of failed peace efforts, the new initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end an insurgency that has killed over 40,000 people, burdened the economy and wrought deep social and political divisions in Turkey and the wider region.
President Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped the PKK’s dissolution would bolster Turkish security and regional stability. “May God grant us success in achieving our goals on this path we walk for the security of our country, the peace of our nation, and the establishment of lasting peace in our region,” he said on X.
Friday’s ceremony was held at the entrance of the Jasana cave in the town of Dukan, 60 km (37 miles) northwest of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq’s north.
The fighters, in beige military fatigues, were flanked by four commanders including senior PKK figure Bese Hozat, who read a statement in Turkish declaring the group’s decision to disarm.
“We voluntarily destroy our weapons, in your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination,” she said, before another commander read the same statement in Kurdish.
Helicopters hovered overhead, with dozens of Iraqi Kurdish security forces surrounding the mountainous area, a Reuters witness said.
The ceremony was attended by Turkish and Iraqi intelligence figures, officials of Iraq’s Kurdistan regional government and senior members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party – which also played a key role this year facilitating the PKK’s disarmament decision.
It was unclear when further handovers would take place.
Item 1 of 6 Armed PKK fighters arrive ahead of a disarming ceremony in Sulaimaniya, Iraq, July 11, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY MEDIA OFFICE/Handout via REUTERS [1/6] Armed PKK fighters arrive ahead of a disarming ceremony in Sulaimaniya, Iraq, July 11, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY MEDIA OFFICE/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
A senior Turkish official said the arms handover marked an “irreversible turning point” in the peace process, while another government source said ensuing steps would include the legal reintegration of PKK members into society in Turkey and efforts to heal communities and promote reconciliation.
WIDER SIGNIFICANCE
The PKK has been based in northern Iraq after being pushed well beyond Turkey’s southeastern frontier in recent years. Turkey’s military carries out regular strikes on PKK bases in the region and established several military outposts there.
The end of NATO member Turkey’s conflict with the PKK could have consequences across the region, including in neighbouring Syria where the United States is allied with Syrian Kurdish forces that Ankara deems a PKK offshoot.
Washington and Ankara want those Kurds to quickly integrate with Syria’s security structure, which has been undergoing reconfiguration since the fall in December of autocratic President Bashar al-Assad. PKK disarmament could add to this pressure, analysts say.
The PKK, DEM and Ocalan have all called on Erdogan’s government to address Kurdish demands for more rights in regions where Kurds form a majority, particularly Turkey’s southeast where the insurgency was concentrated.
In a rare online video published on Wednesday, Ocalan – whose large image was shown at the weapons ceremony – also urged Turkey’s parliament to set up a commission to oversee disarmament and manage the broader peace process.
Ankara has taken steps toward forming the commission, while the DEM and Ocalan have said that legal assurances and certain mechanisms were needed to smooth the PKK’s transition into democratic politics.
Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s AK Party, said the ceremony marked a first step toward full disarmament and a “terror-free Turkey”, adding this must be completed “in a short time”.
Erdogan has said the disarmament will enable the rebuilding of Turkey’s southeast.
Turkey spent nearly $1.8 trillion over the past five decades combating terrorism, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek has said.
Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul; editing by Mark Heinrich
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab