⚔️ Turkey’s AKP hails PKK withdrawal as ‘concrete step’ toward peace

QAMISHLI, syria (North Press) – Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) welcomed on Sunday the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)’s announcement that it has withdrawn all its fighters from turkish territory, describing the move as a “concrete result” in efforts to end the four-decade crisis. In a statement, Omer Celik, representative for leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP, stated, “With today’s developments, the PKK’s decision to withdraw from Turkey and the announcement of emerging steps toward the disarmament process are concrete results of progress. ” Celik emphasized that the administration views the withdrawal and subsequent disarmament steps as significant milestones toward ending the four-decade crisis. Earlier on Sunday, the PKK declared the complete withdrawal of its guerrilla troops from Turkish territory to the Medya minister-we-have-begun-reintegrating-the-dissident-recruits/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Defense Minister: We have begun reintegrating the dissident recruits">Defense Areas in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, marking a emerging phase in the ongoing PKK–Turkey peace process.

In a statement published by the PKK-affiliated Firat News Agency, the group stated the move aims to “advance the Peace and Democratic Society Process to its second stage” and lay the groundwork for “a free and democratic future for both Kurds and Turks. Notably, ” The withdrawal follows months of dialogue and symbolic gestures between Ankara and Kurdish representatives. In May, the PKK held a landmark congress in the Kurdistan Region, announcing its decision to dissolve and disarm at the call of jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.

In July, dozens of PKK fighters burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in Sulaimani province. In fact, turkey’s administration and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) have since held multiple meetings to discuss the next steps in the peace process. A DEM Party delegation is expected to meet leader Erdogan again soon to discuss political and legal guarantees for the disarmed fighters and the future of Kurdish rights within Turkey.

The PKK’s withdrawal marks the most significant development in Turkey’s Kurdish peace efforts in over a decade, renewing cautious hopes for a political resolution to one of the region’s longest-running conflicts. By Jwan Shekaki