Around 2200 members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will begin to leave Turkey from June 1 until late November, the Sabah newspaper reported on Thursday.
According to the report, several routes have been proposed for the militants. First of all those located in the provinces of Hakkari and on Turkey’s border with Iran and Iraq, will leave the country. Over 700 militants from this area will leave Turkey within a week and go to the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq.
During the second phase, the militants will then leave the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Osmaniye, Adana and Adiyaman. About 80 militants will leave Turkey within 20 days, through Syria and from there to Iraq.
About 600 militants from the provinces of Van and Sirnak will move to the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq within 35 days.
In addition, 60 militants from the provinces of Artvin and Agri will leave Turkey within 60 days moving to Iraq through Iran.
The final step will be the leaving of over 400 PKK militants in the provinces of Diyarbakir and Erzurum within 90 days. They too will leave for the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq.
Earlier, imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the organisation to lay down their weapons and leave the country.
Turkish authorities in turn promised all PKK militants that have laid down their weapons the facility for a safe exit from the country.
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK requiring creation of an independent Kurdish state, continues for more than 25 years, and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation by the UN and the European Union.
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