PKK announces full withdrawal of armed forces from Turkey

Tehran - BORNA - The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement published by the ANF news agency, an outlet close to the group.

According to reports citing Yahoo News, the PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025 following decades of armed conflict with the Turkish state, deciding at the time to disband its organizational structure and end its armed campaign.

In August 2026, the Turkish parliament passed legislation by a significant majority that could pave the way for the release of numerous PKK members.

However, the provisions of this law can only be implemented once security agencies officially verify the dissolution of the PKK and its affiliates, as well as the complete handover of their weapons. That verification must subsequently receive approval from Turkey's National Security Council and be published in the country's official gazette.

The PKK has demanded that Abdullah Öcalan, the group's founder who has been imprisoned on Turkey’s İmralı island since 1999, lead the peace process.

The group's leadership criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for failing to take meaningful steps in the peace track and for maintaining Öcalan's isolation.

The PKK leadership stated that the completion of the troop withdrawal was aimed at ensuring "no further opportunity remains for the AKP government to make excuses or use them to justify its inadequate stance toward this process."

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