The militant group PKK has started to lay down its arms in Iraq, marking an important step in the peace process after decades of conflict.

PKK fighters took part in a symbolic laying down of arms ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday as part of a peace process aimed at ending a four-decade conflict. The decision came after calls by jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to encourage the group to disband and renounce violence. Turkish politicians, including Devlet Bahceli, welcomed the move, stressing the importance of politics and social peace.