Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday welcomed what he called a “significant and encouraging step” toward a terrorism-free Türkiye, following the disarmament move by a group of PKK terrorists in northern Iraq.
“This positive development marks an important milestone toward the goal of a Türkiye free from terrorism. It is our nation’s shared hope that this turns into a process that will lead to the permanent eradication of terrorism,” Fidan said in a statement shared on social media.
He praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “historic leadership” and the “firm and determined stance” demonstrated alongside Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli.
“I commend all state officials who have worked to implement this vision,” he added.
Fidan also stressed that Türkiye will remain on high alert until the PKK’s broader umbrella organization, the KCK, and all its components are no longer a threat to the country, its people, or the region.
The statement came shortly after 30 PKK terrorists, including 15 women and four commanders, laid down and destroyed their arms in northern Iraq as part of the group’s dissolution process.
After a series of failed efforts, the terror-free Türkiye initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end a campaign that has killed over 40,000 people, burdened the economy, and wrought deep social and political divisions in Türkiye and the wider region.
The PKK has been based in northern Iraq’s mountainous regions, chiefly Qandil, after being pushed well beyond Türkiye’s southeastern frontier in recent years. Türkiye’s military has regularly carried out operations and strikes on PKK bases in the region and established several military outposts there.
