According to KurdPress, as the peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) progresses, reports published by regional and Turkish media indicate a widespread evacuation of the group's positions along the Turkish border. This action is taking place simultaneously with the transfer of forces to the Qandil Mountains and border areas in the Iraqi province of Sulaymaniyah.

According to a report by the Turkish newspaper Nafs and the trans-regional newspaper Sharq al-Awsat, the PKK has so far evacuated about 80 of its bases, tunnels, bunkers and hideouts along the Turkish border, including in the strategic area of ​​Mount Gara.Sources close to the PKK have also indirectly confirmed these movements.

These reports indicate that the group’s forces have been mainly transferred to their main headquarters in the Qandil Mountains and also to the border strip in Sulaymaniyah province. In recent months, there have been signs of an increased presence and the establishment of new fortifications there.

According to the National Context report, these developments are taking place while there have been previous reports of the gradual strengthening of the PKK’s presence along the eastern border of the Kurdistan Region. Some analysts believe that this movement is part of the group’s military reorganization within the framework of the new process of negotiations with Ankara and the reduction of its armed presence on the Turkish borders, and not necessarily the end of its military activity.On the other hand, the coincidence of these developments with the progress of negotiations between the Turkish government and representatives of the Kurdish movement has fueled speculation that a new phase of the peace process is approaching. It is expected that the draft legal framework related to this process, after the details are finalized, will be submitted to the Turkish parliament in the coming days.

Experts believe that the evacuation of border positions by the PKK could be one of the most important confidence-building measures on the path to implementing possible agreements. However, the transfer of forces to Qandil and neighboring border areas in the eastern Kurdistan Region also shows that the group is changing its geographical and military alignment and that its organizational structure will continue to be maintained.

If the new legal framework is approved by the Turkish parliament, the process of disarmament, integration or determination of the status of PKK members will be delayed.The PKK will enter a new phase that could have a significant impact on the security equations of Türkiye, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and even the eastern border areas of this region.