The months-long disarmament process involving the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has made little tangible progress, Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın has said.
Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative - of which the PKK’s disarmament is a key pillar - has so far produced only “symbolic” steps, Kalın told officials from the ruling AK Party at a Sunday briefing.
According to party officials cited by local media, there is no evidence that PKK fighters based in northern Iraq have laid down their arms, despite calls to do so by the group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan.
For four decades, the PKK waged a violent insurgency against the Turkish state, in which tens of thousands of people - both civilians and military personnel - were killed.
The group has long been designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.
Ruling party officials also said that the regional war involving Iran, Israel and the U.S. - which will soon enter its third month - has further complicated the PKK disarmament process.
They said the ongoing conflict has altered the expectations of the Iraq-based PKK leadership and delayed the next phase of the process, including planned legal reforms.
According to party officials, the “legal regulation phase” of the process had been set to begin in April.
“But the Iran factor changed the situation,” one party source was quoted as saying.
The PKK’s Iraq-based leadership, for its part, has yet to respond to the assertions.
In return for the PKK’s disarmament, Ankara has pledged to pursue judicial reforms aimed at expanding Kurdish political participation and addressing long-standing Kurdish grievances.
Speaking at a 22 March rally in Istanbul, Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of Türkiye’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party, called on Ankara to “listen to the voice of peace and take the necessary legal steps”.
She said that the DEM Party, which has played a mediating role between Ankara and the PKK, stands for “genuine peace strengthened by democracy and justice.”
“True rule of law will prevail in this country and justice will serve everyone,” Hatimoğulları told supporters.
Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati has died at the age of 47 after suffering prolonged health complications that left her in a c...
Iran has strongly condemned the renewed U.S. attacks on Thursday as a violation of the UN Charter, saying Washington has rendered its ceasefire deal s...
At the start of 2026, something unusual happened in China's car market. BYD, the company that had spent years at the top of the domestic sales charts,...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 12 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation involving No...
Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati has died at the age of 47 after suffering prolonged health complications that left her in a coma for nearly four years.
Iran has strongly condemned the renewed U.S. attacks on Thursday as a violation of the UN Charter, saying Washington has rendered its ceasefire deal struck in April with Tehran meaningless.
At the start of 2026, something unusual happened in China's car market. BYD, the company that had spent years at the top of the domestic sales charts, was knocked off its perch by a rival.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 12 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is struggling under severe heat and humidity as the country enters a prolonged heatwave period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of above-normal temperatures across much of the country between 7 and 12 June.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American base in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
Russia has once again offered warm words to Tbilisi, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praising Georgia's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and saying Moscow is ready to deepen ties.
Azerbaijan dispatched 17 railway wagons carrying 984 tonnes of diesel fuel to Armenia on Thursday, marking the latest shipment in growing trade between the two countries.
The U.S. is deepening engagement with Central Asia on critical minerals as global competition for strategic resources intensifies. The issue dominated talks in Astana between Washington and the five Central Asian states.
Israel's cabinet is expected to approve a plan on Thursday (11 June) to allocate around one billion shekels ($338 million) for settlement development in the West Bank, according to reports and anti-settlement campaigners.
India is expected to receive below-average rainfall over the next two weeks, particularly across central and northern regions, as weather systems known as western disturbances slow the advance of the annual monsoon, senior weather officials said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment