Kurdish rebel group PKK says it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkiye to Iraq

A militant Kurdish group announced on Sunday (October 26, 2025) that it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkiye to Iraq as part of a peace effort with Turkiye.

The statement issued in northern Iraq by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, came months after a group of its fighters began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony, as part of the peace process.

The group has been waging a decades-long insurgency in Turkiye that has led to tens of thousands of deaths since the 1980s.

“To prevent any risk of clashes or provocations, we are currently withdrawing all our forces within Turkiye to the Medya Defence Area with Abdullah Ocalan’s approval,” read the statement from KCK executive board member Sabri Ok, referring to the group’s imprisoned leader.