The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced Sunday it is withdrawing all guerrilla forces from Turkish territory to the Medya Defense Areas in northern Iraq, marking a significant escalation in the "Peace and Democratic Society" process that began earlier this year.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Qandil, attended by 25 PKK fighters who had recently crossed from Turkey into Iraq, including senior commanders from the organization's military wings. The statement was read by KCK Executive Council member Sabri Ok in Turkish and YJA Star commander Vejîn Dersîm in Kurdish.
According to the movement's leadership, the withdrawal decision builds upon steps taken throughout 2025, beginning with a ceasefire declared on March 1, following a peace call by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27. The organization held its 12th Congress in May, where it voted to end both its organizational existence and armed struggle strategy, contingent upon Öcalan's direct leadership of the process.
"Despite insufficient approaches, Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement are taking new practical steps to advance the Peace and Democratic Society process to a second stage," the statement read. The group emphasized that forces positioned within Turkey's borders, deemed to pose conflict risks and vulnerability to provocations, are being relocated with Öcalan's approval.
The PKK leadership called on the Turkish government to reciprocate with immediate legal and political measures, including what it termed "transitional justice" specific to the PKK, and laws enabling democratic integration and political participation. "It is very clear that we are committed to the 12th Congress decisions and determined to implement them," the statement said, while stressing that practical implementation requires corresponding governmental action.
The Turkish government responded positively to the announcement. AK Party Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala stated: "In the 'Terrorism-Free Turkey' process, we have passed another important threshold today. With the complete elimination of terrorism, which has been a shackle on our country for years, the doors of a new era will open."
Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Ömer Çelik described the withdrawal as "concrete results of progress in the roadmap" toward a terrorism-free Turkey. "The withdrawal of terrorist elements from Turkey and the announcement of new steps regarding laying down arms are developments in line with the main objective," Çelik said in a written statement.
However, Çelik emphasized that the disarmament process must continue without interruption and extend to PKK structures in Syria and Iraq. He stressed that the process must be protected from all provocations, noting awareness of potential sabotage attempts by forces behind regional chaos.
The peace initiative, which gained momentum following a historic call by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in late 2024, has been supported by a parliamentary commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy, comprising members from different political parties.
The PKK's statement concluded with a call to action for Kurdish citizens, particularly women and youth, emphasizing that the process requires organized struggle rather than passive expectation. "The Peace and Democratic Society Manifesto will definitely achieve victory," it declared.
The developments represent the most tangible progress in decades-long efforts to resolve Turkey's Kurdish conflict, which has claimed over 40,000 lives since 1984. However, significant challenges remain regarding the legal framework for former militants' reintegration and the political status of Kurdish rights within Turkey's constitutional structure.
Photo: Gemini AI