Ankara (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The PKK, a Kurdish militant group, announced on Sunday that it is withdrawing all its forces from Turkey to northern Iraq. It also called on Ankara to take legal measures to safeguard the peace process during a ceremony held in northern Iraq, AFP reported.
What actions is the PKK urging Turkey to take?When did the PKK announce its plan to disband?
“To prevent any risk of clashes or provocations, we are currently withdrawing all our forces within Turkey to the Medya Defence Area with Abdullah Ocalan’s approval,”
said Sabri Ok, a senior member of the KCK executive board, referring to the group’s incarcerated leader. It also published an image featuring 25 fighters, including eight women, who had already arrived there from Turkey.
What actions is the PKK urging Turkey to take?
The group called on Turkey to take essential actions to advance the process that started a year ago, when Ankara unexpectedly extended an olive branch to group imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
“The legal and political steps required by the process (…) and the laws of freedom and democratic integration necessary to participate in democratic politics must be put in place without delay,”
it stated
The group has expressed its intention to pursue a democratic struggle to protect the rights of the Kurdish minority, following a historic call by Ocalan.
When did the PKK announce its plan to disband?
In July, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) took initial steps toward disarmament, marking the end of a four-decade armed conflict with the Turkish state that has resulted in over 40,000 deaths.
A small ceremony took place in Sulaimaniyah, in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, where 20 to 30 PKK fighters were destroying their weapons instead of surrendering them to any government or authority. The symbolic process took place with strict security measures and is anticipated to continue throughout the summer.
The disarmament followed the PKK’s announcement in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict, after leader Abdullah Ocalan — who has been imprisoned near Istanbul since 1999 — urged his group in February to hold a congress and formally disband and disarm.
“I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I urge you to put this principle into practice,”
Ocalan stated, pledging the disarmament process would be “implemented swiftly.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the development, calling it completely tearing off and discarding the bloody shackles that had been imposed on Turkey’s legs. Erdogan also said the move would benefit the entire region.
Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
