ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said Friday that it has evacuated more than 10 military positions near Turkey’s border over the past two months and no longer maintains forces near Turkish military bases as part of its efforts to advance the ongoing peace process with Ankara. The group accused Turkey’s ruling party of failing to take sufficient steps to move the process forward.
In a statement, the PKK leadership said more than 10 caves used as combat positions near the Turkish border had been evacuated, while sleeper cells previously based in major Turkish cities had relocated to the Medya Defense Areas, the PKK's stronghold in the Kurdistan Region.
“We no longer have a single military force stationed near Turkey’s borders or the military positions where the Turkish army is deployed,” the statement said, as reported by the PKK-affiliated ANF news agency.
The group argued that the Turkish state and military could no longer claim it posed a military threat, stressing that the cessation of hostilities had been ensured not only through a voluntary decision but also through the withdrawal of its forces from areas near Turkish military positions.
The PKK announced the withdrawal of all its fighters from Turkish territory in October, following the passage of legislation in the Turkish parliament granting amnesty to some PKK fighters and paving the way for the release of thousands of Kurds jailed over alleged PKK ties.
Following PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s appeal in February 2025, the group convened a congress, announced its dissolution and the end of its armed struggle against Turkey, and symbolically burned some weapons in July 2025.
Despite these measures, the PKK accused Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of failing to reciprocate with concrete democratic reforms.
“The AKP government's failure to take concrete steps in response to our actions has raised doubts among the international public and the Turkish public about the AKP's intentions,” the statement said.
It added that Ankara's failure to implement democratic measures that do not require new legislation had fueled speculation that the peace process had stalled or been frozen.
“We have clearly expressed our willingness to return to Turkey and participate in democratic political life. Returns to Turkey will take place once a legal framework enabling this is established,” it said.
The PKK stressed that disarmament alone would not resolve the decades-long Kurdish conflict, calling for broader democratic reforms to address the underlying causes of the Kurdish issue.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Wehbe Romi on Thursday, Cengiz Candar, a lawmaker from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), said November 27 and early December would be critical for the peace process.
He said Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) is expected to finalize its assessment of the PKK’s disarmament on November 27, potentially paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to move forward with legislation supporting the peace process.
“If the MGK finalizes its disarmament report at its November 27 meeting and President Erdogan puts the law into effect, a parliamentary monitoring committee consisting of 12 to 13 members will be established in early December under the chairmanship of [parliament speaker] Numan Kurtulmus,” Candar said.
He added that some PKK members could remain temporarily in the Kurdistan Region before additional legal arrangements allow their return to Turkey.
The amnesty does not include PKK commanders.
The developments come after Ocalan was recently moved to a newly built section of the prison on Turkey’s Imrali Island, where he has been held since 1999. DEM Party lawmaker Mithat Sancar confirmed the relocation earlier this month and urged Ankara to accelerate the peace process.
However, party officials stressed that Ocalan remains imprisoned and that the transfer does not address demands for greater freedom to participate in peace negotiations.
