PKK withdraws all fighters from Turkey in ongoing peace efforts

PKK calls on Turkey to implement legal reforms without delay.

QANDIL, Iraqi Kurdistan,— The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared on Sunday that it has begun withdrawing all of its armed units from Turkish Kurdistan to its bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, urging the Turkish government to implement legislative measures to safeguard the ongoing peace initiative.

The announcement came during a formal ceremony held in the mountainous Qandil region, long considered a central stronghold for the group. According to the reports PKK officials read out a statement confirming the relocation of all remaining forces stationed in Turkey.

“We are implementing the withdrawal of all our forces within Turkey,” the PKK said in a statement.

Photographs distributed by the group showed around 25 Kurdish guerrillas, including eight women, who had already crossed from Turkey into Iraqi Kurdistan’s territory.

The PKK, which announced in May that it had abandoned its four-decade-long armed campaign, described the move as part of its shift from military confrontation to democratic political engagement.

The 40-year conflict has claimed more than 45,000 lives according to Turkey.

The organization emphasized that the Turkish government must now enact “legal and political measures” to move the peace process forward.

“The legal and political steps required by the process, and the laws for freedom and democratic integration necessary for participation in democratic politics, must be implemented without delay,” the group stated.

The latest developments follow the peace process initiated last year after Turkish authorities extended what observers called an “unexpected olive branch” to imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence on an island prison near Istanbul since his capture in Kenya in 1999.

The PKK said it intends to continue its political efforts to advance the rights of the Kurdish population through nonviolent, democratic channels, consistent with Ocalan’s “Call for Peace and Democratic Society,” issued earlier this year.

In July 2025, the group held a symbolic disarmament event in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan (Bashur Kurdistan), where fighters publicly destroyed and burned their weapons in front. Turkish officials hailed the move as “an irreversible turning point” toward peace.

The PKK originally took up arms in 1984, demanding greater autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur Kurdistan) and recognition of Kurdish identity within Turkey, where Kurds make up an estimated 30 percent of the population of about 85 million. The Turkish government still does not formally acknowledge the Kurds as a distinct constitutional group.

A large Kurdish population in Turkey and abroad continues to express sympathy toward the PKK and its imprisoned founder. Analysts say Ocalan retains considerable symbolic importance among Kurds worldwide.

Turkey hails PKK militants’ withdrawal

Turkey on Sunday welcomed the withdrawal of Kurdish PKK militants from its territory to Iraqi Kurdistan, calling it a “concrete result” in efforts to end the four-decade conflict.

Omer Celik, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, said the PKK’s decision to withdraw from Turkey and the new steps toward disarmament were “tangible signs of progress.”

Sabri Ok (center), the Executive Council Member of KCK (Koma Civaken Kurdistan KCK, the political wing of Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK) and YJA Star Serhat Province Command Member Vejîn Dersîm (left), Qandil mountains, Iraqi Kurdistan, October 26, 2025. Photo: Rojnews.news

The Official PKK Statement

At Sunday’s ceremony, the PKK’s political wing, KCK (Koma Civaken Kurdistan), and its women’s branch YJA Star, released a detailed declaration outlining the withdrawal process and the group’s political expectations.

The statement was read by Sabri Ok, a KCK Executive Council member, in Turkish, and by Vejîn Dersîm, a YJA Star commander, in Kurdish.

It reads as follows:

“Given the serious challenges facing the future of both Turkey and the Kurdish people, stemming from ongoing conflicts and wars across the Middle East, and following recent remarks by the President of Turkey, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, and Leader Abdullah Öcalan, a new process has begun in Turkey. This process took on a distinct character after Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ on February 27, 2025. It has now entered a critical and decisive stage.

Over the past eight months, we, as the Kurdish side, have taken historic steps within the framework of this call. To create the right atmosphere for dialogue and peace, we declared a unilateral ceasefire on March 1, 2025, immediately following Öcalan’s appeal. Acting on his directives, conveyed through appropriate channels, we convened the PKK’s 12th Congress from May 5 to 7, 2025, where we formally ended the PKK’s organizational structure and its armed struggle strategy. We also declared that the implementation of these resolutions could only be carried out under the direct leadership of Abdullah Öcalan.

Two months later, following a video message from Öcalan, a 30-member delegation known as the ‘Group for Peace and Democratic Society,’ led by KCK Executive Council Co-Chair Besê Hozat, publicly burned their weapons in a ceremony. This act symbolized our firm and final decision to abandon armed struggle.

These historic moves, led by Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK, have had a deep impact on Turkey’s social and political environment. They have inspired new hope and determination for peace and democratization. The Kurdish people’s courageous and selfless commitment to peace, democracy, and freedom has been widely recognized both inside Turkey and internationally.

Despite some negative or inadequate responses to our efforts, Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement continue to work toward advancing the next phase of the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process. Their goal is to reduce the growing threats facing both Turkey and the Kurds, and to lay the foundations for a free, democratic, and fraternal future.

As outlined in the resolutions of the PKK’s 12th Congress, it was decided that guerrilla units inside Turkey whose presence might lead to clashes or provocations would withdraw to the Medya Defense Zones. We are now carrying out this decision, which was also approved by Abdullah Öcalan. Some of the units that have reached these zones are present here today and are taking part in this declaration. Similar steps are also being taken along border areas where the risk of confrontation remains.

Time will show the effectiveness of these unilateral actions. Still, these symbolic and practical steps once again demonstrate the PKK’s determination to fully implement the resolutions of its 12th Congress.

We are fully committed to these resolutions and determined to see them through. However, to make their implementation possible, certain legal and political measures must be introduced in line with the 12th Congress’s decisions and the needs of the peace process. This includes adopting a transitional law specific to the PKK and enacting the necessary legislation for freedom and democratic participation without delay.

Finally, we appeal to all our people—especially women and the youth. This process is not about waiting for others to act; it is about building and achieving a free and democratic life through organized struggle. Everyone who believes in this vision must stand up, organize, and work for the success of the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process.”

(With files from AFP | Firat News Agency ANF | Agencies )