PKK

Turkey to submit draft law allowing thousands of former PKK members to return, aims to end conflict

The draft law, some details of which surfaced last November, is focused on managing the return of PKK fighters and civilians from hideouts in northern Iraq, setting out how they will be processed.

|ByREUTERS
Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk for a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025.
Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

Turkey’s Kurdish peace process falters as Iran war complicates negotiations - analysis

Turkey’s peace process with Kurdish militants stalls as the Iran war deepens instability in the region, with both sides hesitant to take bold steps toward a resolution.

|ByREUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, April 17, 2026.

Turkey’s changing regional policy is a sign of stability, but Israel is wary - analysis

Today, Ankara appears to have changed course. It backs the new Syrian government and has appeared to support the Syrian Democratic Forces’ integration into the new Syrian security forces.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Kurdish rebels declare immediate ceasefire after jailed leader's peace appeal

If successful, the move could have wide-ranging implications for the region, while ending a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.

MARCH 1, 2025ByREUTERS
Supporters of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) display flags with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a rally to celebrate Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 17, 2024.

Abdullah Ocalan calls on PKK to dissolve, regional leaders react

Regional leaders welcome calls for the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve.

FEBRUARY 27, 2025ByREUTERS
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region,

Turkey says nine PKK fighters 'neutralized' in northern Iraq operation

The Turkish government frequently uses the term "neutralized" to describe combatants who have been killed, captured, or have surrendered.

FEBRUARY 19, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
KURDISH PROTESTERS carry flags and a banner with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkey’s military action in northeastern Syria in Zurich, Switzerland, this week

Ankara seeks to exert influence at its rival’s expense - analysis

Ankara seeks through attacks to drive a wedge between Syrian Kurds and the US.

NOVEMBER 2, 2024ByJONATHAN SPYER
THICK SMOKE rises from an oil-extracting facility targeted by Turkish shelling near Syria’s northeastern border with Turkey last week.

Turkey to reinforce military bases in northern Iraq after 12 soldiers killed

Turkish forces regularly carry out strikes in neighboring Iraq as part of the country's offensive against PKK militants.

DECEMBER 28, 2023ByREUTERS
A Turkish soldier patrols in the southeastern Turkish province of Sirnak October 27, 2007.

Turkey 'neutralizes' Kurdish militants in northern Iraq airstrikes

Two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Turkey's capital on Sunday morning.

OCTOBER 2, 2023ByREUTERS
A TURKISH soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria, in January 2018