We Are Withdrawing All Our Forces From Türkiye, Says KCK

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK, or Koma Civakên Kurdistanê in Kurdish) announced on Sunday that it has initiated the withdrawal of all its forces from within the borders of Türkiye, marking a pivotal and tangible escalation in the rapidly evolving peace process aimed at ending a decades-long conflict. The declaration, delivered by a senior KCK leader at the foot of the Qandil Mountains, transforms months of symbolic gestures and political declarations into a concrete military de-escalation, placing the onus squarely on the Turkish state to reciprocate with long-demanded legal and democratic reforms.

This withdrawal represents the most significant "practical step" yet in a delicate and carefully choreographed sequence of events set in motion by the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan earlier this year, a process that has already seen fighters symbolically burn their weapons and the Turkish government declare a "new page in history."

The announcement was made during a press conference held in the formidable Qandil mountain range, with 25 fighters standing in formation as Sabri Ok, a member of the KCK's executive council, read the prepared statement. He framed the decision as a direct implementation of the directives issued by Öcalan and the resolutions passed during the organization's 12th congress.

"Despite the incomplete positions of the opposing side, Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdistan freedom movement, with the aim of setting aside all the severe dangers that have beset the Kurds and Türkiye, so that the foundation for a life of freedom, democracy, and brotherhood for the next century can be laid and the process of peace and a democratic society can be brought to the second stage, is in the effort of a new practical step," Ok stated. "Within this framework and on the basis of the program and decisions of the 12th congress and by the order of Leader Abdullah Öcalan, we have begun the step of withdrawing those forces of ours from Türkiye that are in front of the potential danger of clashes and are a fertile ground for the occurrence of undesirable possibilities."

The KCK's statement emphasized that this withdrawal is a clear demonstration of its commitment to the peace process, while simultaneously serving as a test of Ankara's intentions.

"Practice will be the indicator of the level of effectiveness of these steps of ours; but these practical steps of ours once again prove our determination and clear stance regarding the implementation of the decisions of the 12th congress," the declaration continued.

The group explicitly called on the Turkish state to fulfill its part of the understood, if unwritten, bargain by immediately passing legislation to facilitate a peaceful and democratic resolution.

"It is very clear and obvious that we are committed to the decisions of the 12th congress and are determined in their implementation; but for their implementation, it is necessary to immediately take those legal and political steps of the process that were the conditions of the decisions of the PKK's 12th congress," the statement read, concluding with a specific demand: "For this purpose, the transitional law specific to the PKK must be taken as a basis and for participation in democratic politics, the laws related to necessary freedom and democratic integration must be enacted immediately."

Türkiye on Sunday welcomed the withdrawal of PKK militants from its territory to northern Iraq, describing it as a “tangible outcome” of ongoing efforts to end the four-decade conflict.

“The PKK’s decision to withdraw from Türkiye and the announcement of new steps toward disarmament represent clear signs of progress,” said Omer Celik, spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

This momentous decision did not occur in a vacuum but is the culmination of a historic and rapidly unfolding peace initiative that began in earnest earlier this year.

The journey from armed conflict to political negotiation gained irreversible momentum on February 27, 2025, when Öcalan, from his solitary confinement on İmralı Island, issued a pivotal appeal for his followers to end their armed campaign. In a landmark response, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held its 12th Congress from May 5–7, announcing a formal end to its armed struggle, which began in 1984 and has claimed over 40,000 lives, and a collective decision to pursue a political resolution.

The first visible manifestation of this new direction came in July. Initially, PKK commanders announced to AFP that, as a "gesture of goodwill," a number of fighters would publicly destroy their weapons in a ceremony in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

This symbolic act was intended to demonstrate their commitment to ending the decades of armed struggle and to signal a definitive shift toward political negotiation. The promise was fulfilled on Friday, July 11, in a powerful ceremony held inside the historic Jasena Cave in Sulaimani province’s Dukan district.

Thirty members of the PKK, including four senior commanders, laid down and burned a cache of weapons that included Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and sniper rifles. The ceremony, monitored by a joint committee including representatives from Turkish intelligence and military in coordination with the governments of Baghdad and Erbil, was not broadcast live due to security concerns but marked the official start of the disarmament process, which was expected to conclude by September.

The reaction from veteran Kurdish political figures was one of cautious optimism and a pressing call for reciprocity. Ahmet Türk, a long-respected Kurdish politician, described the disarmament as a "very big step" in an interview with Kurdistan 24.

"We are happy to see the Kurdish issue progressing through peace, and we hope a democratic policy will be implemented in Türkiye and the Middle East," he said. Türk stressed that the responsibility for peace was a shared one, warning that the process's success was contingent on Ankara's response.

"Today is a new beginning. Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK decided to resolve the Kurdish issue through politics and dialogue," he stated. "Peace cannot be achieved by one side alone; both sides must work on it. If Türkiye does not take practical steps for this process, tensions will increase." He also praised the supportive role of President Masoud Barzani in promoting the peace initiative.

The following day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a triumphant address, declaring a "historic victory" and the end of a 47-year scourge. "Türkiye has won. Eighty-six million citizens have won," Erdoğan announced. "It is now a new era for our country; a new page has been opened in Türkiye’s history."

He framed the PKK's disarmament not as a negotiated settlement but as the result of his government's steadfast security policies, crediting military operations in Iraq and strong political coordination. "The terror-free Türkiye project we have pursued in recent years is not the result of negotiations, bargaining, or any give-and-take process," he asserted.

However, in a crucial acknowledgment of the need for a political framework, Erdoğan announced that a parliamentary commission—the "National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission"—would be established to manage the legal dimensions of the peace process, bringing together his AK Party, its nationalist allies, and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.

The intellectual and strategic architect of this entire process, Abdullah Öcalan, has continued to guide the transition from his prison cell.

In a comprehensive video message dated June 19, 2025, he formally declared the dissolution of the PKK’s founding "National Liberation Strategy," which had aimed at establishing a separate state. "The existence [of the Kurds] has been recognized; therefore, the basic aim has been achieved," he argued, calling for a new political framework centered on a "Democratic Society" and a "Democratic Politics" strategy. He stressed that this voluntary shift was "not a loss, but has to be regarded as a historical gain."

More recently, on October 4, Öcalan issued a new message through a visiting DEM Party delegation, calling for the next century of the Turkish Republic to be founded upon "the law of peace and democracy." He emphasized that the state of non-conflict achieved over the past year was a fragile but vital calm that had prevented "great dangers."

He urged that, at this critical juncture, the necessary legal frameworks be determined and implemented in a "correct and comprehensive manner" to codify the peace. He framed "negotiating democracy" as the essential mechanism for resolving the nation's most deeply rooted problems, a direct appeal to the state to engage in a structured, legally-grounded dialogue.

The KCK's announcement on Sunday is a direct and forceful answer to Öcalan’s call for concrete action. By physically removing its fighters from Turkish soil, the organization is not only eliminating a primary source of potential conflict but also making a powerful political statement. It signals that the Kurdish movement has fulfilled its most significant obligation in the de-escalation process and that the next move belongs to Ankara.

The withdrawal is a calculated risk, a demonstration of faith in the process that simultaneously challenges the Turkish government to prove its own commitment. The demand for a "transitional law" and legislation for "democratic integration" is now no longer an abstract political request but a condition tied to the most significant military pullback in the conflict’s history.

As the last of the KCK's forces prepare to leave Turkish territory, all eyes will turn to the Turkish parliament and President Erdoğan's government to see if they will now lay the legal and political cornerstone for the enduring peace Öcalan has envisioned and for which the fighters in the mountains are now vacating the battlefield.

This article has been updated on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, at 11:49 AM.