PKK withdrawal from Turkey marks key step in peace process: AKP
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Turkey’s ruling party hails the PKK’s withdrawal from Turkish territory as a milestone in its anti-terror roadmap.
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Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters, who reportedly withdrew from Turkey with their weapons, stand to attention during a ceremony in the Qandil area of northern, Iraq, Sunday, Oct 26, 2025 (AP)
Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, stated that their objective is to completely dismantle the PKK's operational networks in both Syria and Iraq.
Çelik additionally referenced on Sunday reports about the withdrawal of fighters from the PKK from the region.
In a post on X, Çelik stated that he "views the PKK's decision to withdraw its forces and announce disarmament steps as a concrete outcome of the progress made under the roadmap of Turkey's 'Terrorism-Free' initiative."
PKK withdraws all its forces from Turkiye to Iraq
On Sunday, the PKK announced the withdrawal of all its forces from Turkish territory into northern Iraq, a step the party described as "historic" and a preparatory move for transitioning to the second phase of the "Path to Peace and a Democratic Society," in accordance with the decisions made during its 12th Congress.
Earlier on Sunday, a correspondent for Al Mayadeen Plus in the Qandil Mountains had confirmed that a number of PKK forces had withdrawn from deep inside Turkish territory. He additionally noted that negotiations are proceeding at a rapid pace and that this withdrawal was the final step in the process of pulling out from within Turkey.
Furthermore, the PKK published a photograph depicting 25 of its fighters, eight of whom were women, who had successfully crossed from Turkey into Iraq.
The group urged the Turkish government to take further action to sustain the peace process, a process that began a year ago when Ankara extended an unexpected olive branch to its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
“The legal and political steps required by the process (...) and the laws of freedom and democratic integration necessary to participate in democratic politics must be put in place without delay,” the party stated.
Ocalan announces cessation of PKK armed campaign
Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan announced the formal cessation of the group's armed campaign against Turkey on July 9, in a video message that constituted his first appearance since he was imprisoned in 1999.
In a June-recorded message published Wednesday by Firat News Agency, Ocalan urged Turkey's parliament to establish a monitoring committee for voluntary disarmament and initiate comprehensive peace efforts.
Ocalan declared that the PKK has abandoned its separatist objectives and national liberation doctrine, asserting that with Kurdish identity now recognized in Turkey, the group's founding purpose has been achieved, making its armed struggle unnecessary.
