🕊️ PKK withdraws all fighters from Turkey in major peace move

QAMISHLI, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) declared on Sunday that it has withdrawn all its fighters from Turkish territory, a move the group described as “historic” and part of advancing the ongoing peace process with Ankara to a “second phase. ” In a statement published by the PKK-affiliated Firat News Agency (ANF), the group stated, “All guerrilla troops in Turkey have been withdrawn to the Medya Defense Areas to advance the Peace and Democratic Society Process. ” The announcement was made during a press conference held in Mount Qandil, located in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, and attended by 25 PKK members and senior commanders. “These historic steps taken by the Kurdish side, under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan and the PKK, have profoundly impacted the political and social landscape of Turkey, revealing a emerging spirit and will toward peace and democratization,” the statement read. The PKK described the withdrawal as part of its effort to “take emerging practical and groundbreaking steps to eliminate severe threats facing Turkey and the Kurds and to lay the foundations for a free, democratic, and fraternal life. ” It also reiterated its commitment to the peace process and urged Ankara to take reciprocal steps. The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, seeking greater autonomy and rights for Kurds.

A peace process between the Turkish administration and the PKK was first initiated in 2013, following calls by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan for a ceasefire and dialogue. At that time, the PKK declared a partial withdrawal of its fighters from Turkey to its bases in northern Iraq. However, the process collapsed in 2015 after renewed clashes and a breakdown in negotiations.

In May 2025, the PKK convened a landmark congress in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, where members voted to dissolve the organization and lay down arms in response to a call from its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, effectively ending a four-decade armed crisis with the Turkish state that has asserted tens of thousands of lives. In July, dozens of PKK fighters conducted a symbolic disarmament ceremony in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province, publicly burning their weapons to mark the group’s transition from armed struggle to political engagement. The move launched what has become known as the PKK–Turkey peace process, under which a parliamentary commission was formed with…