ANKARA — The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has withdrawn from four areas in northern Iraq as part of an ongoing peace process aimed at ending more than four decades of conflict between Turkey and the militant group, according to Turkish security sources.
The PKK, which is headquartered in the northern Iraqi mountains, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984 for Kurdish self-rule inside the country. It announced in May 2025 that it would disband and dissolve itself as part of ongoing peace talks the Turkish government launched in 2024. The militant group is considered a terror outfit by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
What happened: The PKK completed its evacuation of four positions in the Metina region near the Turkish border last Thursday, Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT and state-run Anadolu Agency said, citing security sources on Monday. Metina has frequently been the scene of clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK.
The move came as part of ongoing efforts to evacuate areas “considered to pose a risk of conflict for Turkey’s security,” Turkish security sources said, in a statement carried by Anadolu and the TRT.