Kurdish rebel group PKK says it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to Iraq

A militant Kurdish group announced on Sunday that it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to Iraq as part of a peace effort with the Turkish government.

The statement delivered in northern Iraq by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, follows a symbolic disarmament ceremony held months earlier, where a group of its fighters began laying down their weapons to show its commitment to the peace process.

In a news conference, Sabri Ok, a member of the Kurdish umbrella organization, the Kurdistan Communities Union, said all PKK forces in Turkey were being withdrawn to areas in northern Iraq “to avoid clashes or provocations.”

In a statement read in Turkish, Ok said the move was made with the approval of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Vejin Dersim, a member of the PKK’s women’s wing, read the statement in Kurdish.

“Also, similar regulatory measures are being taken with regard to those positions along the border which could carry the risk of clashes and possible provocations,” Ok said.

The statement also called for legal and political concessions on the part of the Turkish state.

“It is quite clear that we are committed to the resolutions of the 12th congress and decisive in implementing them,” the statement said. “However, for these resolutions to be implemented, certain legal and political approaches … need to be adopted.”

In Turkey, Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, said the PKK’s announcement was a step toward the state’s long-term goal of eradicating security threats in Turkey.

A separate 51-member parliamentary committee was formed in August to propose and supervise legal and political reforms aimed at advancing the peace process following the PKK’s decision to disband and disarm. Their next meeting is scheduled for Thursday.