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PKK Starts Withdrawing Fighters From Turkey to Northern Iraq

Ankara calls the move a concrete result of a peace process focused on new laws for PKK members’ political reintegration.

Overview

  • The PKK announced it is pulling all forces out of Turkey to bases in northern Iraq, unveiling the step at a ceremony in the Kandil mountains near Erbil.
  • The group said 25 fighters have already relocated, with outlets citing observers who expect at least about 200 to move in total.
  • In its statement, the PKK urged immediate legal and political measures to enable participation in democratic life and pressed for specific legislation beyond a blanket amnesty.
  • PKK representative Sabri Ok called for the parliamentary peace commission to meet imprisoned founder Abdullah Öcalan and said Öcalan must be able to live and work freely.
  • AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik welcomed the pullback and the announcement of further disarmament steps, as a parliamentary commission formed in August works on the legal framework for a peace process.