Turkey, Erdogan welcomes PKK disarmament: ‘A painful chapter comes to an end’

Istanbul (Turkey), 12 July (LaPresse/AP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the disarmament of Kurdish separatist militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), calling it the end of a ‘painful chapter’ in Turkey's history. Speaking at a meeting of his ruling party in Ankara, Erdogan said the PKK's ‘scourge of terrorism,’ which has lasted more than 40 years, is coming to an end. The Turkish president said a parliamentary commission will be set up to oversee the peace process. ‘Today, the doors to a great Turkey, a strong Turkey, a Turkish century have been thrown open,’ Erdogan said. The PKK has waged an armed guerrilla war against Turkey since 1984, with its demands shifting from the creation of a Kurdish state to autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey. In May, the PKK announced it would heed the calls of jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to formally disarm and disband.