QENDÎL - The leadership of the Kurdish Freedom Movement announced that they have started to withdraw all their forces in Turkey with the approval of Abdullah Öcalan. The statement stressed legal and poltiical approaches should be taken without delay.

 

The leadership of the Kurdish Freedom Movement made an important statement in Qendîl (Qandil) regarding the Peace and Democratic Society Process. In the statement, it was stated that within the scope of the PKK 12th Congress decisions and with the approval of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Peoples’ Defense Fordces (Hêzên Parastina Gel-HPG) and Free Women’s Union-Star (Yekîneyên Jinên Azad-Star-YJA-Star) guerrillas started to withdraw to the "Media Defence Areas". Within the scope of the decision, 25 HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas also participated in the statement. 

 

The statement was made in Turkish by KCK Executive Council member Sabri Ok and in Kurdish by YJA-Star commander Vejîn Dêrsim. 

 

PKK CONGRESS DECISIONS WERE REMINDED 

 

The full statement is as follows: 

 

“Considering the very serious threats related to the future of Turkey and the Kurds, posed by the conflicts and wars in the Middle East, and following the statements made by the President of Turkey, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, and Leader Abdullah Öcalan, a new process was started in Turkey. This process gained its own identity after Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” on February 27, 2025.  The process is now going through a very critical and important phase. 

 

During the last 8 months, we, as the Kurdish side, have taken very historic steps within the framework of  “The Call for Peace and Democratic Society”. In order to facilitate the creation of a peaceful and convenient context for due discussions, we declared,  immediately after the Call, a unilateral ceasefire on March 1, 2025. Based on the directions of Leader Abdullah Öcalan, which he conveyed to us through proper channels,  we convened the PKK’s 12th congress on 5-7 May, 2025,  terminated the organizational structure of the PKK and its strategy of armed struggle. At the same time, we declared that these resolutions can only be put into practice via direct management of Leader Abdullah Öcalan. 2 months later, based on the video-call of Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the 30-persons-strong “Group for Peace and Democratic Society”,  led by the Co-Chair of KCK’s Executive Council, Besê Hozat, burned their weapons in a ceremony,  thereby manifesting our clear and decisive attitude as to terminating the strategy of armed struggle. 

 

These historic steps, taken by the Kurdish side and pioneered by Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK, deeply influenced the social and political context in Turkey as they created a new spirit and resolve for peace and democratization.  This courageous and self-sacrificing attitude of the Kurds for peace, democracy and freedom was widely appreciated within Turkey and abroad. 

 

Despite all the negative and insufficient approaches towards our steps, Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, are working on still taking new practical steps which would clear the way for taking the process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ to its second phase. In doing so, they are aiming at eliminating the increasing threats against Turkey and the Kurds and laying the foundations for a free, democratic, and fraternal life for the coming centuries. Accordingly, the resolutions of PKK’s 12th Congress had foreseen and planned the withdrawal, to the Medya Defense Zones, of those guerrilla units whose presence within Turkey’s borders could escalate the risk of clashes and possible provocations. We are now putting these resolutions, also approved by Leader Abdullah Öcalan, into practice. A part of those guerrilla groups which have reached the Medya Defense Zones are now present here and are personally taking part in this declaration. 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. 

 

No doubt, praxis will show the efficacy of these unilateral step that we have been taking so far. However, the symbolic practical steps we have taken, once again, manifest the decisiveness and clear attitude of the PKK to implement the resolutions of its 12th Congress. 

It is quite clear that we are committed to the resolutions of 12th Congress and decisive in implementing them. However, for these resolutions to be implemented, certain legal and political approaches – in line with the resolutions of PKK’s 12the Congress and as necessities of the process – should be adopted. In this context, a Transitional Law, unique to the case of the PKK, should be made; also, the necessary laws for freedom and democratic integration that would enable participation in democratic politics should be enacted without any delay. 

 

Finally, this call is for our peoples, particularly the women and the youth: This is not a process of expecting something from somebody, rather it is a process of creating and winning a free and democratic life through organized struggle. So, anybody who identifies with this life, should mobilize and wage a struggle for the success of the process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’.

 

The Manifesto for Peace and Democratic Society will surely prevail! 

 

October 26, 2025

 

The Leadership of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement”