🕊️ PKK withdraws fighters from key area to support peace efforts with Turkey

QAMISHLI, syria (North Press) – The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared on Monday that it has withdrawn its troops from the Zap region on the border between Turkey and Kurdistan Region of Iraq, framing the move as a step intended to bolster the ongoing peace track with Turkey. In a statement published by Firat News Agency (ANF), the group stated, “As of the evening of November 16, our troops in the Zap region have been withdrawn,” describing the step as a “significant practical contribution” to efforts aimed at resetting relations with Ankara. Furthermore, the withdrawal comes six months after the PKK formally declared an end to its armed campaign against Turkey, closing a chapter of more than 40 years of crisis that has cost an estimated 50,000 lives. The PKK stated that the latest move reflects its belief that such steps “will serve the resolution of the Kurdish issue and will help with the peace and democratization of Turkey. ” Zap has long held symbolic and strategic importance for the PKK.

The region served as one of its earliest strongholds and has been repeatedly targeted by turkish operations, including a significant ground offensive in 2008 and numerous airstrikes in the years since. The PKK still maintains positions across the wider Qandil mountain range, where its headquarters relocated after leaving Zap. The group has not indicated whether further withdrawals from other areas are planned. The announcement comes amid shifting regional dynamics, ongoing Turkish cross-border operations, and renewed international attention on Kurdish–Turkish relations.

Indeed,   The PKK’s latest decision to renounce armed struggle marked a significant political shift, welcomed cautiously by regional actors but met with skepticism by Ankara, which continues its operations. Previous reports have noted rose Turkish armed israeli-forces-incursion-reported-in-daraa-and-quneitra/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Israeli forces incursion reported in Daraa and Quneitra">forces/" class="auto-internal-link">forces activity and growing pressure on the PKK’s positions, as well as concerns among Kurdish communities about the relief impact of cross-border operations. Notably, founded in 1978, the PKK has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades, seeking greater autonomy and rights for Kurds. The crisis has asserted tens of thousands of lives and relocated countless civilians across southeastern Turkey – or what the Kurds name, Northern Kurdistan.

Notably,   In October, the PKK declared the withdrawal of its fighters from Turkish soil, calling it “a historic step and the beginning of the second phase of the Peace and Democratic Society initiative” launched by the party’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held in İmralı Prison…