PKK members leave Turkey and head for northern Iraq, continuing the peace process

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced on Sunday that all its fighters in Turkey have been withdrawn, within the  peace process between the Turkish Government and the armed group, taking a new step.

With two large photographs of the imprisoned historic leader Abdulá Ocalan behind them, dozens of PKK members have appeared at a press conference in northern Iraq to argue that "steps of historic importance are being taken" to achieve "peace and a democratic society": "We are withdrawing all our forces from Turkey because they pose a risk of conflict within Turkey's borders and are vulnerable to possible provocations," Executive Council member Sabri Ok said in a message read to the media.

In that statement, the PKK warns that the measures taken so far by the Turkish Government are "insufficient". 

The Turkish Executive set up a parliamentary committee to determine the legal basis for the peace process, and now, with the exception of one nationalist party u00A0, all the other parliamentary parties are expected to propose the legislative measures expected by the guerrillas.

For the time being, PKK members who have not committed any crime are considering the chances of returning to the country and returning to civilian life. Turkey political leaders, while those who have held leadership positions in the PKK would be considering dividing into several countries.

The Turkish Government further links this peace process to the abandonment of armed struggle by the Kurdish YPG militias and their entry into the Damascus administration, which it considers to be closely linked to the PKK.

In this context, today's is an important political gesture for next Tuesday's meeting between Turkish Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a delegation from the pro-Kurdish leftist DEM party.

Iraq fears security problems

Representatives of the Turkish Government have welcomed the PKK's announcement today, but the Iraqi authorities are suspicious of the displacement of Kurdish fighters.

The Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee has warned that this transfer poses a threat to national security and could lead the country to regional conflicts.

PKK's presence in the Qandil Mountains in Iraq has long been a source of tension with Turkey, which continues its cross-border attacks on the group and recently extended its military operations for another three years.