Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)

Türkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the militant Kurdish group’s announcement that it is dissolving and ending its decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies.

In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle.

Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions.

“We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Fahrettin Altun, the head of the Turkish presidential communications office said.

The PKK initially launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the 1980s.

The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled “Terror-Free Türkiye” was launched in October, after a key ally of Erdogan suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands.

Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK’s decision.

Media close to the government have reported that the PKK’s disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision.

According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq.

The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration.

Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report.

Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment.

Erdogan said Monday the PKK’s declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.

The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan’s call for a dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria.

The group then reached an agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the Syrian government.

Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.



Iran’s Parliament Approves Bill to Suspend Cooperation with IAEA

People pass by UN.nuclear watchdog agency headquarters on the day of an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors on the Iran crisis, in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl
People pass by UN.nuclear watchdog agency headquarters on the day of an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors on the Iran crisis, in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl
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Iran’s Parliament Approves Bill to Suspend Cooperation with IAEA

People pass by UN.nuclear watchdog agency headquarters on the day of an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors on the Iran crisis, in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl
People pass by UN.nuclear watchdog agency headquarters on the day of an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors on the Iran crisis, in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl

Iran's parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reported.

The move, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program.

Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks.

The parliament speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale."

He said that "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program."

Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA.

Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.