PKK to exit Turkiye as disarmament push gathers pace

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said Sunday it will withdraw its militants from Turkiye as part of a disarmament process coordinated with Ankara, urging the government to enable the group’s transition into politics. The announcement, delivered during an event in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq, pressed Turkish authorities to pass integration laws that would allow members to enter “democratic politics.”

The PKK, which launched its insurgency in 1984, said the decision follows its May declaration to disarm after a call from jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to end armed struggle. In July, the group carried out a symbolic burning of weapons to signal commitment to the process. The decades-long conflict has killed more than 40,000 people.

PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa said the movement is implementing Ocalan’s peace project and expects reciprocal steps from Turkiye. As officials read the statement, dozens of fighters stood in formation beside a large image of Ocalan, underscoring the significance of the shift.

Turkish officials welcomed the move. Presidential communications director Burhanettin Duran called it a positive step toward the goal of the PKK completely laying down arms. Turkiye maintains that it protects Kurdish rights but will not accept separatism.

The PKK has long operated from bases in northern Iraq, where Turkiye conducts routine strikes and maintains several outposts. Analysts say an end to the conflict would carry regional implications, including in Syria, where the United States backs Kurdish forces that Ankara views as a PKK offshoot.