Kurdish rebel group PKK starts withdrawing fighters from Turkey to Iraq
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has announced that it has begun withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to Iraq, calling the move a step toward supporting ongoing peace efforts with Ankara.
The statement, released in northern Iraq, follows a symbolic disarmament ceremony earlier this year as part of the peace process between Turkish authorities and the outlawed group.
The PKK has been waging an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since the 1980s, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
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Sabri Ok, a senior figure from the group's umbrella organisation KCK, said the withdrawal was being carried out with the approval of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. He added that the shift of forces to the Medya Defense Area in northern Iraq aims to prevent fresh clashes or provocations during negotiations.
