Turkey says PKK must disarm 'immediately' as operations go on

Turkey continues operations against PKK in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan, says it killed 26 Kurdish militants.

ISTANBUL,— Turkey has renewed its call for Kurdish militants and their affiliated groups to lay down their arms immediately, a defense ministry official said Thursday, signaling Ankara’s firm stance despite a recent ceasefire declaration by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“The PKK and all associated groups are required to halt all terrorist activities, disband, and immediately and unconditionally lay down their weapons,” the sources said..

The statement follows last week’s historic appeal from Kurdish leader and PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who urged the group to dissolve and disarm. His message prompted the PKK to declare a ceasefire on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that military operations against Kurdish militants would continue unless the disarmament process was fully implemented.

“If there is any attempt at deception or delay, our operations will persist until the last terrorist is eliminated,” Erdogan said.

Turkey has long viewed the PKK and its affiliated groups, including the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the PKK. The SDF denies these allegations

Since 2016, Turkey has launched three military offensives into Syria’s Kurdish region, targeting Kurdish SDF forces. Erdogan’s government has also carried out airstrikes in Iraqi Kurdistan, where PKK leadership is based, and established military outposts in Iraqi Kurdistan (Bashur).

The SDF, the main army force in Kurdish-led autonomous administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), played a key role in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in 2019.

SDF’s top commander General Mazloum Abdi welcomed Ocalan’s call for the PKK to disarm but distanced his forces from the statement. “This does not concern our forces in northeastern Syria,” Abdi said.

Turkey fears the establishment of a Kurdish autonomous region, federal region, or Kurdish state in Syrian Kurdistan could fuel separatism among its own Kurdish population, according to analysts.

“Our position remains clear: all terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria—whether the PKK, YPG, or SDF—must disarm and dissolve,” said Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan’s ruling AKP.

Turkey’s military has continued operations against PKK fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan and Syrian Kurdistan, killing 26 militants in the past week, according to the defense ministry. The ministry’s statement reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to its counterterrorism efforts.

“The Turkish Armed Forces will maintain operations to ensure our country’s security and will persist in eliminating terrorist threats,” the statement read.

In Iraq, the conflict has strained relations between Ankara and Baghdad. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji criticized the continued presence of both Turkish forces and PKK militants, calling for their withdrawal.

“Turkey is here because of the PKK, but we do not want either side in our territory,” al-Araji said.

The PKK launched its insurgency against Turkey in 1984, seeking greater rights and autonomy for Kurds, who make up 30% of the country’s population. The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, including Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas.

Ocalan, the group’s imprisoned leader, has remained a powerful figure for many Kurds. Captured in 1999, he is serving a life sentence on an island prison near Istanbul.

(With files from AFP | Reuters | Agencies)