Turkish media: PKK announces full withdrawal from Türkiye

The terrorist organization PKK has announced the complete withdrawal of its forces from Türkiye, in line with decisions made at its 12th congress, where the group also declared plans for self-dissolution following the call of its leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

According to Turkish media outlet Hürriyet, the PKK described the move as a “new step” in its process of abandoning armed struggle. In a statement released today, the organisation confirmed that all its forces have been fully withdrawn from Turkish territory.

Earlier, PKK-affiliated media had hinted at an impending announcement, citing “reliable sources” in northern Iraq. Reports indicated that the group intended to outline the next stage of implementing decisions from the congress and Öcalan’s call.

Sources noted that a representative of the PKK-linked KCK leadership made the statement at the foot of Mount Qandil, in the Raperin area of the Sulaymaniyah province, where a symbolic weapons destruction ceremony had previously taken place.

The announcement on October 26, 2025, of the complete withdrawal aligns with the PKK's 12th Congress held on May 5–7, 2025 and Öcalan's February 27, 2025, call for dissolution. This follows a unilateral ceasefire on March 1, 2025, and symbolic disarmament on July 11, 2025. Fighters are relocating to Iraq's Medya Defense Zones (Qandil Mountains), marking a full exit from Turkish soil after 41 years.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was founded in 1978 by Abdullah Öcalan and a small group of Kurdish students in Ankara, Türkiye. Initially a Marxist-Leninist organization, the PKK sought to establish an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye, a region with a significant Kurdish population.

In 1984, the PKK launched an armed insurgency against the Turkish state, marking the beginning of one of the longest-running conflicts in the Middle East. The group’s activities have since included guerrilla warfare, bombings, and attacks primarily targeting Turkish security forces, government institutions, and—at times—civilians. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including soldiers, militants, and civilians.

Türkiye, along with the United States and the European Union, designates the PKK as a terrorist organization. Over the decades, the Turkish Armed Forces have conducted extensive counterterrorism operations across the country’s southeast and in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where the PKK has maintained training camps and logistical networks.

By Khagan Isayev