In a significant development toward peace, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant Kurdish group, declared on Sunday its decision to withdraw its fighters from Turkey to Iraq. The announcement, made in northern Iraq, marks a pivotal step in the ongoing peace process between the PKK and Turkey. This move follows a symbolic ceremony months earlier where PKK fighters began laying down their weapons, signaling a commitment to de-escalation. The PKK, which has been engaged in a decades-long insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s, has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. The group’s statement, issued by Sabri Ok, emphasized the withdrawal of all forces to the Medya Defense Area in northern Iraq, a term frequently used by the PKK to describe its strongholds. The decision was made with the approval of Abdullah Ocalan, the group’s imprisoned leader, who has long advocated for peace. The statement also called for legal and political concessions to ensure the successful implementation of the peace process. Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, had urged the PKK in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm, a move the group agreed to in May. Initially, the PKK’s insurgency aimed to establish an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey, but its objectives later shifted to advocating for Kurdish autonomy and rights within Turkey. Despite the PKK’s efforts toward peace, it remains designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
Kurdish rebel group PKK says it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to Iraq
