Daijiworld Media Network – Ankara

Ankara, Oct 27: In a landmark development, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced that it is withdrawing all its forces from Turkey to northern Iraq, marking a significant step in a long-awaited disarmament process.

The group, which has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey for over four decades — a conflict that claimed more than 40,000 lives — said the move follows the disarmament call made by its jailed founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned for 26 years.

In a statement issued from northern Iraq, the PKK said the withdrawal was aimed at paving the way for a “free, democratic, and brotherly life,” and was part of its broader efforts toward integration and peaceful political participation. The group urged Ankara to enact legal reforms to allow its members to enter democratic politics.

“The legal and political steps required by this process must be put in place without delay,” the statement read. Senior PKK leader Sabri Ok added, “We want laws that are specific to this process, not just an amnesty.”

The PKK, which has long operated from mountainous bases in northern Iraq after being pushed out of Turkey’s southeastern border, has repeatedly come under attack from Turkish forces maintaining several military outposts in the region.

Meanwhile, Omer Celik, spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, welcomed the announcement, calling it “a concrete outcome of the government’s goal of making Turkey terror-free.” He said the move would help create a “positive framework” for upcoming legal measures expected to be reviewed by a 48-member parliamentary commission, which will also determine Ocalan’s fate.

If the disarmament proceeds smoothly, analysts say it could mark the end of one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies and reshape the geopolitical balance in the region. It may also ease tensions between Turkey and the United States, whose support for Syrian Kurdish forces — considered by Ankara as a PKK offshoot — has strained relations between the NATO allies.

The PKK has emphasized that its future goal is to advocate for the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish minority through democratic means, signaling what could be a historic turning point in Turkey’s modern political history.