Latest news with #KurdishMilitants
Asharq Al-Awsat
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Türkiye Says in Talks with Baghdad, Erbil on PKK Weapons Handover
Türkiye is in talks with authorities in Baghdad and in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil on how Kurdish militants of the PKK will hand over their weapons, President Tayyip Erdogan said following the group's decision to disband. "Talks are being held with our neighbouring countries on how the weapons of terrorists outside our borders will be handed over," Erdogan said, according to a transcript of remarks he made to journalists on his return flight from Albania overnight. "There are plans regarding how the Baghdad and Erbil administrations will take part in this process," he added. The PKK , which has been locked in bloody conflict with Türkiye for more than four decades, has decided to disband and end its armed struggle, group members and Turkish leaders said earlier this week on Monday.
Al Arabiya
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Turkey to set up mechanism for PKK weapons handover: Report
A coordinated mechanism for the handover of Kurdish militant group PKK weapons will be established following the group's decision to dissolve, Turkey's defense ministry said, according to state-owned Anadolu news agency. The ministry said relevant state institutions would coordinate with counterparts in regional countries to set up the mechanism, Anadolu reported. The PKK, which has been locked in bloody conflict with Turkey for more than four decades, has decided to disband and end its armed struggle, group members and Turkish leaders said on Monday. Also on Thursday, a Turkish defense ministry spokesman said in a briefing that Turkey's military will continue acting against PKK militants in regions where they are present until it is 'certain' the threat is removed following decision to disband. The military will 'continue to act in the regions used by the separatist PKK terrorist organization with determination until it is certain the region is cleared and will no longer pose a threat to Turkey,' a ministry spokesman said in a briefing. Blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, the PKK operates rear bases in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, where Turkey also maintains military bases and often carries out air and ground operations against the Kurdish militants. The PKK is also present in Syria, where Turkey has military bases in the north and has since 2016 carried out several ground operations to force the militants away from its border.
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
PKK Kurdish terror group ends 40-year war with Turkey
A Kurdish militant group that has waged a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state has agreed to lay down its arms and dissolve. The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) followed its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urging the group to disband two months ago saying there was no longer any reason for its armed struggle. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK – designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies – launched its insurgency in 1984. The move could end one of Turkey's most persistent security problems and have far-reaching consequences across the region on other Kurdish militias, particularly in Syria where they are allied with US forces. The decision, analysts say, is likely a response to Turkey successfully battering PKK's strongholds in northern Iraq as well as Kurdish militias in north-eastern Syria. Turkey has repeatedly bombarded PKK strongholds in northern Iraq, as well as Kurdish militias in north-eastern Syria. The PKK's original aim was to create an independent state for the Kurdish minority, who make up about 20 per cent of Turkey's population. However, it has more recently turned its attention to fighting for greater rights for Kurds within the country. In a statement on Monday, the PKK said it had 'brought the Kurdish issue to the point of resolution through democratic politics, thus completing its historical mission'. The group, which has been isolated to the mountains of northern Iraq, added that Ocalan should lead the process and Turkey's parliament. Ocalan, 77, who has been imprisoned on an island off Istanbul since 1999, had urged his fighters to hold a congress to formalise the decision at the end of February. Days later, the PKK's leadership accepted his call, declared a unilateral ceasefire amid signals from Turkey's government that suggested Ocalan could be granted parole. Terror-free Turkey In a speech on Saturday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, hinted that news about a dissolution was imminent, adding that his government was determined to 'save our country from the scourge of terrorism'. 'We are advancing with firm steps on the path to the goal of a terror-free Turkey,' he said. Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Mr Erdogan's AK Party said on Monday the PKK's decision to dissolve was an important step towards a 'terror-free Turkey' that the disbanding process would be meticulously monitored. Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow for Middle East security at Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, called the move a potentially 'hugely significant and historic turning point'. If the PKK successfully disbands, 'this would be a victory for president Erdogan… who will go down in history as the president who peacefully resolved a four decades-long insurgency and armed conflict.' The PKK's decision is likely to give Mr Erdogan a domestic boost and the opportunity to bring peace and development to the mainly Kurdish south-east, where the insurgency has handicapped the regional economy for decades. Fragile peace talks However, Ms Ozcelik cautioned that the process towards peace will be fragile. 'If things sour or disintegrate… or Erdogan does not receive sufficient levels of domestic support, then this could backfire.' Mr Erdogan will need support from Turkey's large Kurdish population to stay in power beyond his term in 2028.
Wall Street Journal
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Kurdish Militant Group PKK to End Armed Conflict With Turkey
ISTANBUL—A Kurdish militant group said it would end its armed struggle and dissolve itself after four decades of conflict with Turkey, a news agency aligned with the group said Monday. The decision by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, will have significant security and political ramifications for the region, not only in Turkey but also in neighboring Syria, where Kurdish forces are fighting Turkish-backed militias.
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
A Kurdish militant group decides to disband and disarm as part of a peace initiative with Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey — A Kurdish militant group announced a historic decision Monday to disband and disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey, after four decades of armed conflict. The decision by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, was announced by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. It comes days after it convened a party congress in northern Iraq.
