Turkey is at an important turning point on the path to eliminating the scourge of terrorism, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç said on the occasion of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)'s decision to disband today, state-run TRT Haber reported.
According to the minister, terrorism is "one of the biggest obstacles to Turkey's development, unity and solidarity".
Tunç highlighted the "strong leadership" of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the "national stance" shown by his ally Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Action Party (NAP), which he said had paved the way "towards a peaceful, secure and stable future". The minister also paid tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism.
"Our country will leave the darkness of terrorism behind", he added.
The PKK announced today that it had decided to disband and end its armed struggle against the Turkish authorities during the organization's 12th congress held between May 5 and 7. "The armed struggle is over, the weapons are left behind", the congress decision also said.
The organization launched an armed struggle against the Turkish state in 1984 and is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has bases in northern Iraq and is active in northern Syria. More than 40,000 people, including women and children, have died during the conflict.