Did Baghdad and Erbil approve the PKK's withdrawal from Turkey to northern Iraq?

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has reportedly started relocating its forces from Turkey to northern Iraq, prompting questions about the stances of the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding whether they endorsed, supported, or merely tolerated this redeployment.

The withdrawal follows four decades of conflict between the PKK and Turkey. Fighters are relocating to the Qandil Mountains, a rugged region bordering Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. At the same time, PKK leaders urge Turkey to take further legal steps in the peace process, referencing last year's negotiations with Ankara and imprisoned founder Abdullah Öcalan, who has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island since 1999.

Sabah al-Nueman, military spokesperson for Prime Minister al-Sudani, did not respond to requests for comment from The New Arab.

For his part, veteran Kurdish politician Mohmmed Amin Penjweni described the PKK’s move as a "goodwill gesture" toward Turkish leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli. Penjweni urged Turkey to reciprocate by releasing Öcalan and other political prisoners and by granting parliamentary recognition of Kurdish rights.

"This may be the PKK's last major concession after ending its armed struggle," Penjweni remarked. "If Turkey does not respond, the situation could quickly change." He added that both federal Iraqi and Kurdish regional authorities could benefit from the PKK's retreat, and suggested they were likely informed in advance.

"PKK’s senior leaders have met Turkish officials, and certainly they have discussed this issue with them. I personally think the PKK notified PM Sudani and the Shiite Coordination Framework before the decision to withdraw to Qandil Mountain, as part of the peace process with Turkey," Penjweni added.  

However, it remains unclear if the government consented or received the information.

Turkey has renewed its military mandate for operations in Iraq and Syria for three more years. Penjweni argued that the PKK's withdrawal removes Ankara’s justification for keeping troops in Iraq and called on Baghdad to formally request the United Nations intervention to press Turkey to withdraw.

Kurdish political observer Ramyar Mahmoud told TNA that the peace process should be kept separate from the issue of Turkish military bases in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, noting that after the Soviet Union's collapse, Turkey shifted its military focus from Central Asia to the Arab and African regions.

"The new Turkish state is the heir to the Ottoman Empire. If it cannot become a permanent EU member, it will be easier for it to establish itself as a strong regional and geopolitical power. Turkey remembers its history of leading the Islamic world. It aims to be the main economic beneficiary in its unstable region. This goal comes from both Turkish history and the ruling party’s ideology," he argued. 

Mahmoud noted that since 1991, Turkey has maintained a significant partnership with the Kurdistan Region, which expanded to Iraq after 2003. Turkish military bases serve as instruments of economic influence and border security, support Turkish allies, and counter Iranian influence.

He further argued that Turkey's continued military presence underscores Iraq's instability and keeps Ankara vigilant against potential state collapse.

In July, the PKK held a symbolic ceremony in the mountains of northern Iraq. There, they destroyed the first batch of weapons. Turkey hailed this moment as "an irreversible turning point."

The PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan in the late 1970s, formally announced its dissolution and the start of a disarmament process on 12 May. This followed a call from Öcalan issued from prison on Imrali Island in late February. The group declared a unilateral ceasefire on 1 March.

The PKK launched its insurgency in 1984, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths. A previous peace process collapsed in 2015.