ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday declared "a new page" in history for Türkiye, as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) begins the disarmament process.

"As of yesterday, the 47-year-long terror scourge has entered a phase of ending. Türkiye has begun closing a long, painful chapter filled with anguish and tears," Erdogan said while addressing members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Kizilcahamam district, Ankara province.

On Friday, a group of PKK militants burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in Iraq's northern Sulaymaniyah province.

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"From now on, we will sit down and talk -- not with weapons or violence, not for conflict, but for unity, fraternity, and face-to-face dialogue by removing the obstacle of terror," he said.

The disarmament ceremony was attended by representatives from Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization, the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraqi officials, security forces, civil society organizations, and members of the media, according to Türkiye's semi-official Anadolu Agency.

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The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than four decades.

Türkiye regularly conducts military operations targeting PKK militants in northern Iraq, where the group has its hideouts.