The PKK terrorist group heads into the next stage in the terror-free Türkiye initiative. After Monday's historic declaration of dissolution, everyone awaits how and when it will take place. Turkish officials are tight-lipped as they move cautiously in the process that will end more than four decades of violence. However, media outlets report that preparations are underway to wrap up the plan successfully.
The Sabah newspaper reported that PKK members will hand over their weapons within the next four months and some 3,500 terrorists will leave their hideouts in Iraq’s north.
In coordination with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Türkiye designated certain points there for the handover of weapons. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) will coordinate the process with local authorities. Northern Iraq has been a hotbed of PKK activity, and the group’s senior cadres are hiding in mountainous regions in KRG-administered areas. Officials say confirmation of the handover will be possible due to Türkiye’s knowledge of the inventory of the PKK’s arsenal. The terrorist group will also notify authorities about depots and shelters where they keep munitions and weapons. U.N. observers may also be present to monitor the process.
Currently, the PKK has around 3,500 members in Iraq, the Sabah newspaper’s report says. About 100 among them are senior leaders of the group. Some 2,000 members of the PKK without an active arrest warrant are expected to return to Türkiye. They will be tried or questioned under existing counterterrorism laws. They will be subject to judicial control for two years while Ankara does not consider new regulations exclusively for them.
Leaders of the PKK will be sent into exile in other countries. Media reports say those will include Norway and South Africa, while others will be allowed to stay in northern Iraq. They won’t be allowed to cross into Syria. As for the PKK’s Syria wing, the YPG, the group will be integrated into the army of post-Assad Syria, and Türkiye will coordinate the integration with Damascus. The YPG leads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which also includes members of some Arab tribes in the region. Turkish sources say those tribes would soon leave the SDF and thus, weaken the YPG’s network in Türkiye’s southern neighbor.
The Sabah report says Türkiye will launch a “democratization drive” after the PKK fully lays down arms, and the drive would include amendments of laws, including the practice of appointment of trustees to municipalities and other entities whose mayors were convicted of aiding the PKK.
Turkish authorities will also run round-the-clock surveillance on PKK members to monitor whether they abstain from acts of terrorism.
As for the fate of the terrorist group’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, Türkiye does not consider releasing him after the dissolution, according to unconfirmed reports. Öcalan has served life without parole in Imralı, an island prison near Istanbul, since 1999 after his capture in Kenya. Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who suggested the terror-free Türkiye initiative, had initially called on authorities to weigh the possibility of the right of hope for Öcalan if he calls the group to dissolve. The right of hope, even implemented, does not grant immediate release. Öcalan, for his part, did not propose any conditions for his historic call. Nevertheless, conditions of his incarceration may be eased. He already has a few fellow inmates in the well-guarded prison, but this number may be increased. Earlier media reports before his February call cited a possible house arrest for Öcalan, but this was not confirmed by authorities.
On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the PKK terrorist group's decision to disband, calling it an important step that will pave a new era for the country.
"The doors of the new era will open once weapons are laid down," the president told a news conference following the Cabinet meeting in the capital, Ankara.
"We consider the decision taken to be important for strengthening our country's security and the eternal brotherhood of our nation," he said, noting that Ankara regards this statement as a decision that also covers all extensions of the organization in Iraq, Syria and Europe.
He noted that the intelligence agency and other relevant units would closely monitor the upcoming process with great care to prevent any setbacks and to ensure that promises are kept. He continued by saying that they would share more detailed statements with the public in the coming days.
