AhlulBayt News Agency: The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has officially declared its decision to withdraw all its fighters from Turkey to northern Iraq, marking a significant step in a disarmament process coordinated with the Turkish government.
The announcement was made during a ceremony held on Sunday in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains, where PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa read a statement affirming the group’s commitment to building a “free, democratic, and brotherly life” through the withdrawal.
The PKK called on Ankara to support their transition into democratic politics by passing integration laws, reaffirming their dedication to the disarmament and reintegration process.
During the event, approximately two dozen PKK fighters stood in formation, with a large image of imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan displayed behind them.
“We are following the path of leader Ocalan’s peace initiative,” Hiwa declared.
He added, “Turkey must implement political reforms and create the conditions necessary for this peace project to succeed.”
Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party, said the PKK’s withdrawal aligns with the goal of establishing a “terror-free Turkey.”
Celik also mentioned that the move would help a parliamentary commission develop a constructive legal framework for the process.
On May 12, the PKK, which was founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, formally decided to disarm and dissolve its organization.
This historic decision followed Ocalan’s call for the group to lay down arms and end a four-decade-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
President Erdogan praised the move as a “significant step toward peace and unity” within Turkey.
The PKK’s decision was welcomed by officials in Syria and Iraq, as well as by the European Union and the United Nations.
In July, PKK fighters symbolically burned their weapons during a ceremony in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to demonstrate goodwill.
The event took place at Jasana Cave in the mountainous region west of Sulaymaniyah, which has served as a refuge for PKK fighters over the past ten years.
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