PKK announces completion of withdrawal of its forces from Turkey
Agencies2 min read
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The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced in a statement the completion of the withdrawal of all its forces that could pose a risk of confrontation from within Turkish territory and its border areas, confirming the destruction of four combat tunnels and fortifications belonging to it on Mount Metina, west of the Zap region, and warning the Turkish authorities against stalling in implementing the requirements of the peace process.
The party said in a statement that this step comes within the framework of the path that began with the call of its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, in October 2024 to move the conflict to a "political and legal ground," before he announced in February 2025 the cessation of its armed operations, and then ending the armed struggle against Turkey in May of the same year.
The statement indicated that the leadership of the "Kurdistan Communities Union" and 30 of its cadres proceeded in July to burn their weapons, followed by the withdrawal of fighters from the Turkish border areas to engage in political work.
The party confirmed that armed confrontations inside Turkey have stopped over the past two years, considering this a historic shift in the course of the conflict.
On the other hand, the party criticized the Turkish authorities, saying that the formation of a parliamentary committee to discuss the Kurdish issue and its preparation of an official report were not followed, according to the statement, by taking concrete practical steps towards resolving the issue.
It added that the "Framework Law" was not issued in accordance with Öcalan's aspirations, and accused the authorities of marginalizing the movement's leadership, coinciding with the continuation of what it described as the strict isolation imposed on the party leader in his prison.
The PKK said that it had withdrawn days ago its forces whose presence could lead to friction or confrontations inside Turkey, and destroyed four combat tunnels and fortifications on Mount Metina, considering that the Turkish authorities no longer have a justification to claim the existence of a security or military threat from the party.
In concluding its statement, the party called on Ankara to take "courageous" steps without delay or procrastination to resolve the Kurdish issue, warning that prolonging the process or exploiting it to weaken the Kurdish movement would be the "greatest historical mistake" Turkey could commit.
