Historic Announcement: PKK Completes Withdrawal of Forces and Ends Armed Operations in Turkey

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced the completion of the withdrawal of its armed forces from Turkey and nearby areas, fulfilling the requirements for ending the armed struggle.

A statement issued by the movement today, Thursday, clarified that this step aims to remove pretexts for the Turkish government. The measure comes as part of completing the previously adopted decision to end the armed struggle.

Details of the Withdrawal

The statement focused on the withdrawal process, noting that it took place a few days ago and involved all forces inside Turkey. The declaration stated: "Our movement withdrew all our forces present inside Turkey, which no longer pose a risk of war, completely a few days ago. We also evacuated four tunnels and defense positions in the Metina area west of Zap during the same days, despite their distance from the border and lack of threat to the Turkish state."

The statement added: "In short, we have withdrawn all our armed forces located within Turkey's borders and in areas close to the Turkish border. In this way, we have fulfilled all necessary requirements to end the armed struggle against Turkey and completed the implementation of our strategy based on democratic political struggle."

End of Armed Threat

The movement's leadership emphasized that the Turkish state can no longer speak of an armed threat from their side at all. It considered that its movement has taken exceptional steps globally to resolve such problems.

The statement warned that "failing to recognize the importance of these steps, especially regarding the freedom of imprisoned party leader Abdullah Ocalan, means the Turkish state continues its century-long policy of denial and cancellation."

The statement demanded that the Turkish government act without delay to support the peace process and democratic society. Addressing Ocalan's situation and providing him with suitable working and living conditions represents the main indicator of the government's seriousness in this process.