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Snapshot 6:Mon, Oct 27, 2025 11:34:03 AM GMT last edited by Kani

Kurdish PKK Announces Withdrawal from Turkey to Iraq

Kurdish PKK WithdrawsAnnounces AllWithdrawal Forces from Turkey to Iraq in Peace Move

Above: The first group of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the U.S. and the EU, lays down and destroys their weapons in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq on July 11, 2025. Image copyright: Stringer/Getty Images

The Spin

The PKK's historic withdrawal from Turkey represents a genuine breakthrough toward lasting peace after four decades of devastating conflict. ThisThe courageous move demonstratesproves the Kurdish movement's sincere commitment to democratic transformation and proves that dialogue can triumph over violence. Turkey must now reciprocate by releasing Abdullah OcalanÖcalan and enacting comprehensive legal reforms to ensure this unprecedented opportunity for reconciliation succeeds.

The PKK's so-called withdrawal is largely symbolic theater since few militants remained in Turkey anyway, making this a calculated political maneuver rather than meaningful disarmament. This process lacks international oversight and genuine legal guarantees, creating dangerous precedent for rewarding terrorism with political concessions., Erdogan's peace gambit appears designed to consolidate power domestically while the PKK positions itself to blame Turkey when this fragile arrangement inevitably collapses.

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 22 percent chance for an internationally recognized Kurdish state by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

The relocation of PKK fighters from Türkiye into northern Iraq threatens to deepen the country’s vulnerability to regional tensions, undermining the country's sovereignty. For years, foreign operations and internal Kurdish divisions have eroded Iraq’s sovereignty. The new buildup risks turning its northern mountains into another arena for outside powers, undermining stability and drawing Iraq further into conflicts not of its own making.



© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.17.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.17.0