The terror-free Türkiye initiative took hold on Friday as the first group of members of the PKK terrorist group burned their weapons as a gesture of disarmament in Iraq. Türkiye’s southeastern neighbor hosts 11 major camps occupied by the terrorist group, and in the next stage of the initiative, the group is expected to evacuate them, according to the media reports.

Qandil and Makhmour are among the significant camps controlled by the PKK, hosting senior leadership of the terrorist group.

For years, camps operated freely in Iraq amid the turmoil of war in that country. After U.S. troops withdrew, they remained intact, though Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations severely restricted the movement of PKK terrorists in mountainous territories in the north.

The terrorist group was founded 47 years ago in Lice, in the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakır, but moved its "operational bases” to Iraq when Turkish security forces closed in on them. Camps have been places where the group planned its attacks against Türkiye.

Sabah newspaper reported on Sunday that the Zap camp is among the most significant due to its proximity to the Turkish border. Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had already banned civilian access to camps due to security concerns. Zap is located right across from the Çukurca district of Türkiye’s Hakkari province. It has been a spot of infiltration for terrorists into Türkiye. Other camps in the nearby region include Sinat, Haftanin, Gara, Hakurk, Metina, Avasin-Basyan and Etrus. Camps operate similarly to refugee camps, but some host spacious caves where the PKK hides its arsenal. Some even have field hospitals and small dams to generate electricity. Turkish authorities expect them to be fully evacuated once the group completes its disarmament process.

The evacuation of Qandil will also be a turning point in counterterrorism efforts. The Qandil camp in the eponymous mountain has been a term to refer to the PKK’s leadership for years. The camp is located on the Iranian-Iraqi border. The Sinjar camp is located near the Syrian border, while the PKK also controls Makhmour in Mosul. Unofficial figures show Makhmour is home to 15,000 people.

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al Sudani held a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the PKK’s disarmament. A statement by Iraq’s Prime Ministry said that the disarmament would have a positive impact on the region and would contribute to the region’s stability and development. After years of tolerance, Iraq declared the PKK a banned organization in 2024, following Ankara’s diplomatic efforts with Baghdad and the KRG for a renewed push against the terrorist group.