PKK Withdraws Fighters From Turkey, Accuses Ankara of Peace Process Inaction

The rebel group accused the government in Ankara of inaction regarding a peace process that officially began in 2024 to end four decades of conflict.

PKK Withdraws Forces From Turkish Territory

The armed group stated via the Kurdish news agency Firat that it removed all of its fighters from Turkey a few days prior to the announcement. The movement explained that this withdrawal was executed to strip the ruling Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, of any excuses or pretexts to justify what the rebels characterize as an insufficient approach to the peace negotiations.

In addition to pulling forces out of Turkey, the rebel group reported that it evacuated four war tunnels and positions located at Metina, west of Zap in Iraq. The group specified that these positions were cleared so that the Turkish state would not perceive them as a threat. The Turkish military had previously targeted this specific region during a major offensive in April 2022.

Ankara Lacks Additional Action Since August Legislation

That legislation opened the legal pathway for the reintegration of armed PKK militants, marking a major milestone in a peace process intended to resolve a conflict that has claimed approximately 50,000 lives according to figures provided by Ankara.

Despite the passage of the August law, the PKK contends that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has failed to pursue the peace process with sufficient sincerity and speed. The group asserted that the administration has implemented no supplementary measures since the parliamentary vote, leaving the broader framework stalled.

Ankara Forms Sub-Commissions to Oversee PKK Dissolution

As part of the ongoing peace initiative, Ankara recently established four specialized sub-commissions to oversee the dissolution of the PKK. That dissolution was initially announced last year in direct response to a public appeal from the group’s historic leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

One of the newly formed sub-commissions is dedicated entirely to managing the disarmament of the PKK. That specific panel is slated to host Abdullah Öcalan himself inside his prison facility, addressing a key demand raised by the pro-Kurdish DEM party, which acts as a participant in the peace talks. The August law did not specify the eventual legal fate or living arrangements for Öcalan, who is 77 years old and has been held in isolation since 1999 on Imrali island, located south of Istanbul, while serving a life sentence.