Turkey faces challenges in PKK disarmament process

Turkey is taking a complex and sensitive path to ensure the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) follows through on its recent decision to disband after four decades of armed conflict. This process involves multiple regional dynamics, especially in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where the group has significant presence.

According to leaked plans reported by pro-government outlets, thousands of PKK fighters stationed in northern Iraq are expected to lay down their arms at designated locations, with many eventually returning to Turkey. However, Turkish authorities have yet to officially detail how this disarmament process will unfold.

There is growing pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration to take concrete steps toward peace, especially from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and the PKK itself, both of which are calling for political recognition and rights for Kurds within Turkey.

Following a cabinet meeting, Erdogan stated that the disarmament should also apply to Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria, which Ankara sees as linked to the PKK. The leader of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, described the PKK’s move as a sign of hope for peace in the region but clarified it would not impact his group, which recently reached an agreement to integrate with Syrian state structures after the anticipated fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the PKK’s decision as a “turning point” during a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Although both Turkey and the U.S. recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization, their alliance with Kurdish fighters in Syria has long strained relations.

Harun Armagan, a senior official in Erdogan’s AK Party, suggested that earlier peace efforts might have succeeded if not for U.S. military support for Kurdish groups in Syria in 2014.

Initially formed with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state, the PKK has recently shifted toward seeking greater autonomy and rights within Turkey. Iraq’s government and Kurdish regional authorities are expected to assist in overseeing the disarmament, in coordination with Turkey’s national intelligence agency, MIT.

Iraq’s foreign ministry welcomed the move as a positive step toward regional stability and a potential reason to reevaluate the justification for the presence of foreign troops on Iraqi soil.

Turkish media indicate that PKK fighters will surrender their weapons in key northern Iraqi cities including Sulaimaniyah, Erbil, and Dohuk. The disarmament is expected to conclude by summer, after which an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 militants with no criminal history in Turkey will be gradually repatriated, while others may be relocated to third countries.

Some reports highlight that a majority of PKK members in Iraq have not committed crimes in Turkey, though the top leadership remains wanted. The group’s decision to disband follows a call made in February by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been incarcerated since 1999 and is expected to oversee the process.