Politics
PKK withdraws from Türkiye in major step in terror-free plan
The terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by a government ally in 2024 entered into a new phase as the PKK terrorist group declared its withdrawal from Türkiye on Sunday.
In a ceremony in Iraq, the group made a statement about the process, with some members, reportedly those who left Türkiye for the withdrawal, in attendance. Sabri Ok, a senior terrorist, said they received approval of the PKK’s jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan for the withdrawal to northern Iraq, where the group has hideouts. Ok implied the PKK expected “certain legal and political approaches” in return for their withdrawal.
A total of 25 terrorists left Türkiye during the withdrawal, the PKK claimed, releasing a picture of the terrorists.
The PKK announced an end to its campaign of violence in May, in line with Öcalan’s call in February to the group to dissolve itself. Öcalan’s call was in response to the terror-free Türkiye initiative, first proposed by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
In July, terrorists held a ceremony to literally burn down weapons abandoned by a group of PKK members in northern Iraq as the first tangible sign of dissolution.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was the first to comment on the PKK’s new move. In a social media post on Sunday, Çelik said the PKK’s decision was a concrete result of progress in the terror-free Türkiye road map. He said it was “a step compliant with achieving the main goal.”
Çelik reiterated that the main agenda for a terror-free Türkiye was the dissolution and disarmament of all armed and illegal networks in the region, from Iraq to Syria, referring to the PKK’s Syria wing, the YPG.
Positive results
“The road map generates positive results for the terror-free Türkiye goal. The terror-free Türkiye process is a strategic and historic step to eliminate all threats to our democracy. The goal for a terror-free region is a natural, inseparable part of this initiative and it is a stand against the establishment of imperialist tutelage via terrorist groups in our region, primarily our neighbors,” Çelik said.
He said the strategic political foundation formed by Bahçeli’s historic call, combined with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strong leadership, has shaped a framework that aligns with the spirit of the times and addresses the challenges facing Türkiye.
“The support and guidance that matured through the work of Parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, comprising members from different political parties, clearly demonstrated that the sole ‘political actor’ of this process is the national will. Moving forward, taking steps to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the disarmament and dissolution process will enable us to achieve our goals. As the process of dissolution and disarmament continues, the positive framework outlined by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission will become clearer,” he said.
The said commission was established in August and convened more than a dozen times. After a one-week break, it will convene again this week and hear from Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç. Both ministers have previously briefed the commission about the work on the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
Çelik emphasized the need for maximum vigilance to protect the process from provocations, saying: “We are aware of the political, intelligence and operational sabotage attempts by the forces behind the politics of chaos unfolding in our region,” he said. “In response, we are steadfastly implementing our roadmap. The presence and support of parties representing diverse political views are a source of strength, adding further momentum to the process. Preserving this political diversity in line with the ‘characteristics of our state’ and the ‘values of our nation’ will pave the way for progress toward our main objective,” Çelik stated.
He also said the government will not allow baseless accusations, slander or marginal and maximalist approaches to derail the process, adding: “With the support of every citizen and through our unity, shared history and common destiny, we are advancing toward our goals. Under the strong leadership of our president, all state institutions continue to work resolutely toward a terror-free Türkiye. The Republic of Türkiye remains firmly in control of its national agenda.”
After more than 40 years of terrorism, the PKK finally submitted to its leader’s call last May, but the terror-free Türkiye initiative goes way back than that. Bahçeli and Erdoğan had dropped vague hints about the initiative before Bahçeli made his historic call shortly after the beginning of the new parliamentary term in the autumn of 2024. Both politicians repeatedly stressed setting up a “home front,” a unity between diverse ethnic groups of Türkiye, in the face of Israel’s growing aggression and expansion in the region. For decades, the PKK exploited the disillusioned Kurdish community, claiming to fight for their rights, particularly for so-called self-rule for Kurds in the southeastern Türkiye.
Bahçeli’s call for the PKK to lay down arms was embraced by Öcalan, who is currently jailed on an island prison near Istanbul, and he pointed out that it was time for the PKK to evolve its “struggle” by abandoning arms, in a landmark call last February. The call was a result of Öcalan’s discussions with a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) linked to the terrorist group.
The terror-free initiative involves multiple sides, although its proponents insist it should solely focus on Öcalan and his anticipated call to the PKK.
Abdullah Öcalan is the founder of the PKK and one of the most controversial figures in Türkiye for his role in the conception of the group that was behind violent attacks that claimed thousands of lives since the 1980s. For the PKK, he is a revered icon and face of the terrorist group, which refers to him simply as “leadership.”
The 75-year-old Öcalan founded the PKK in the late seventies and spearheaded the campaign of violence, which began with attacks on civilians and military outposts in the early eighties. For a long time, he remained Türkiye’s most wanted man while the U.S., the European Union and Western allies of Türkiye designated his group as a terrorist organization.
He constantly changed locations across the Middle East to dodge capture and fled into Europe when Turkish authorities closed in on him.
He was captured in Kenya in 1999 and brought to Türkiye. He was sentenced to death in his lengthy trial, but the sentence was commuted to a life sentence after Türkiye abolished capital punishment in 2004. Since then, he has been held in Imralı Island in the Marmara Sea, in a prison complex where he has been the lone convict for a long time.
Öcalan’s former lieutenants make up the core of the PKK’s current leadership and are informally called “Qandil” after the mountain in northern Iraq where they are in hiding.
In Syria, the PKK’s local wing, the YPG, is another component of the terrorism problem. The YPG has so far distanced itself from Öcalan’s call. At the same time, Damascus seeks to convince them to honor another deal involving integration of the group with the Syrian security forces in the post-Assad era.
Türkiye tried to resolve the PKK issue as early as the 1990s. President Turgut Özal took the first concrete steps for a new way to fix the problem and reached out to Iraqi Kurdish leaders who were viewed as close to the terrorist group. It was a time when the DEM Party’s predecessors first won seats in Parliament. Özal favored a “civilian” solution to the problem. He sought to address the issues the PKK exploited to advance its own agenda, such as more rights for Türkiye’s Kurdish community.
Özal’s efforts partially paid off when the PKK briefly declared a “cease-fire.”
However, several violent terror attacks in the same decade and Özal’s death in 1993 hindered this fledgling process that would also reportedly include a general pardon for convicted PKK members.
Terror attacks continued until Öcalan’s capture. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the PKK reduced its terrorism campaign before another flare-up in violence.
Starting in 2012, the state launched a new process informally called the “reconciliation process.” The process proceeded cautiously and the government offered expanded rights for the Kurdish community, especially in education in their own language. The PKK scaled back its activities again, but this process ultimately collapsed too in 2015.
The PKK resumed its campaign and moved attacks from rural parts of the country to urban centers in the southeast, which hosts a predominantly Kurdish population. In response, Türkiye intensified counterterrorism operations and, in the past decade, stepped up aerial strikes and limited cross-border offensives to eradicate terrorists in Türkiye, Iraq and Syria.
Nowadays, the PKK’s attacks inside Türkiye are almost non-existent. However, a deadly attack on a major Turkish aerospace company in the capital Ankara, one day after Bahçeli repeated his call to Öcalan, renewed concerns about the PKK threat.
Next steps
The Terror-free Türkiye initiative is expected to be followed by legal amendments regarding the PKK’s status and the fate of people linked to the terrorist group, including those incarcerated on charges of terrorism or aiding the PKK. The parliamentary commission is anticipated to present guidelines to lawmakers on this matter.
Concerns were heightened recently when the DEM Party, a key actor in the process, adopted a hawkish rhetoric, including remarks by some top figures playing into the hands of critics of the initiative who claim a terror-free Türkiye means concessions to the PKK. Backers of the initiative harshly criticized the DEM Party for what they called attempts at undermining the process. The DEM Party, however, appears committed to the initiative. A delegation of DEM Party lawmakers who met Öcalan at the beginning of the initiative is scheduled to meet President Erdoğan on Thursday. The meeting was earlier announced for Tuesday, but it was rescheduled to Thursday, media outlets reported on Sunday.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
Türkiye condemned a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia amid renewed regional tensions.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), condemned the attack on Friday, saying targeting infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque was unacceptable.
“Attacks targeting our sacred values are illegitimate acts directed against all Muslims,” Çelik said in a social media post, adding that Türkiye strongly supported Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack, saying strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security should “cease immediately and unconditionally.”
The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and called on parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions in the region.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Friday separately condemned the strike and said Türkiye would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage indicated Houthi involvement in the Sept. 29 attack.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said the targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Earlier on Thursday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Bashiqa-Zilkan, a key Turkish base in Iraq, will soon be handed over to Iraqi authorities while Turkish troops are expected to withdraw from the country. The development, which comes amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, which remained there as part of an anti-Daesh coalition, signals the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye. The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Thursday that the handover of the base did not mean an end to cooperation with Iraq and, on the contrary, Türkiye would continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability.
Türkiye and Iraq agreed earlier this month to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The ministry said Türkiye welcomed steps to ensure state authority in Sinjar. The base was set up in 2015 to help Iraq fight against Daesh and later maintained its presence when the terrorist group PKK sought to replace Daesh following the liberation of Sinjar.
“These steps will contribute to normalization of the region, establishing an environment of security and stability and a terror-free region,” the ministry said, using an expression referring to Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims to disarm the PKK.
The statement also said it was decided to gradually hand over the compound to the central government in Baghdad, “based on improvement of security in Sinjar.”
“Our country, as it did in the past, stands with our neighbor Iraq in terms of maintaining an environment of security and stability. Throughout future contacts, we are planning to take steps that will further advance military and security cooperation. We will continue supporting Iraq’s armed forces in increasing military capacity, sharing know-how in counterterrorism and in the fields of military training and defense industry cooperation, based on bilateral agreements,” the ministry stated.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and a security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), noted that Türkiye’s withdrawal was linked to ending the PKK’s presence in Sinjar and the re-establishment of Baghdad’s authority there.
Sarı told Daily Sabah that Türkiye has been in Iraq as an exercise of its right to self-defense under international law, particularly Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. “Türkiye’s presence in Iraq has been due to the PKK threat in the north. (The dissolution) of the PKK will remove the need to remain in Iraq,” Sarı said.
He noted that the PKK and other terrorist groups had, for years, filled the power vacuum that emerged in Iraq’s northern region following the beginning of the Iraq War.
“Iraq’s central government claims it can find a solution to this vacuum through recent steps and establish full authority within its borders after the U.S. withdrawal,” Sarı said.
A U.S.-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago against Daesh formally concluded its mission on Wednesday. Daesh was largely expelled from Iraq and Syria, also thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Assad-era Syria, but U.S. forces remained. Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement two years ago to wind down the mission.
Sarı said it was only natural that Türkiye was supportive of Iraq’s steps to ensure security on its own, since Ankara was committed to developing good relations with its neighbors and centered its foreign policy on peace and stability.
“As it did in Syria, Türkiye sides with central authority, stability and security in Iraq. Türkiye will support this move and will do whatever it can to ensure that this mission succeeds in maintaining stability and security, based on its neighborly relations,” he said.
Sarı added that Iraq’s efforts were compatible with Türkiye’s foreign policy and plans. “Iraq’s success will also mean the complete expulsion of the PKK from that country. This expulsion, removal of this malignant tumor between Türkiye and Iraq, will certainly add momentum to Turkish-Iraqi relations,” he also stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a law passed by Parliament on terror-free Türkiye, which involves the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (Terror-free Türkiye) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged other political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and reach a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved by Parliament in August following months of political consultations over the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. The 12-article legislation received broad parliamentary backing, with 468 lawmakers voting in favor, 88 against and six abstaining. It mainly involves deferral of sentences and prosecution, as part of the initiative that paved the way for the dissolution of the PKK.
For decades, the PKK remained the main security threat for Türkiye, and its violent campaign is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and immense economic losses, especially in southeastern Türkiye. Apart from small nationalist parties, almost all political parties openly supported the initiative, something rare in polarized Turkish politics.
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government did is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing the rivals, to a war of attrition, instead of making it a race in offering the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament amid constant applause from lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s general assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics focusing on polarization, or we will build new politics based on finding common ground, finding consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are meant to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are meant to utilize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift altogether and without losing more time,” he said.
The president said they did not expect all political parties to fully align or have the same opinion.
“Different views are certainly the wealth of Türkiye, Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw power from its own dynamics, its grassroots, to carry out ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,'” Erdoğan said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential for every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,'” Erdoğan added.
New constitution
The president also focused on drafting a new constitution. “The goal of a new and civilian constitution is a struggle for Turkish democracy to prove its maturity. Our esteemed Parliament is competent and authorized to draft a constitution under all circumstances and in every period. A new constitution that will broaden Türkiye’s horizons will be the product not of a politics of polarization, but of a new politics based on competition within consensus. Our nation’s longing for a new constitution must not be held hostage by manufactured fears. Our position regarding the first four articles of the Constitution currently in force is clear. Rolling up our sleeves for a new and civilian constitution worthy of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ is a genuine test of sincerity for everyone. I hope the current legislative year will be a year of constitutional reform that expands Türkiye’s opportunities and potential,” he said.
Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, constitutional design has served as the backbone of the country’s legal system. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, has been repeatedly amended over the decades, most notably in 2017, when a national referendum paved the way for the country’s transition from a parliamentary model to an executive presidential system.
Despite numerous amendments over the decades, replacing the 1982 Constitution with a new, civilian-drafted charter remains a prominent issue in Türkiye’s political debate.
Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş have repeatedly advocated for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the existing charter retains the legacy of military rule under which it was drafted despite extensive subsequent amendments.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
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