Editing Kurdistan Workers' Party (section)

==== 2013–2015 peace process ====
{{main|Kurdish–Turkish peace process}}
In late 2012, the Turkish government began secret talks with Öcalan for a [[2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process|ceasefire]].<ref name="Peace">{{cite news |date=9 May 2013 |title=Peace at the end of a long PKK struggle? |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/05/20135985316524633.html |access-date=10 May 2013 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> To facilitate talks, government officials transmitted letters between Öcalan in jail to PKK leaders in northern Iraq.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planned PKK pullout heats up Turkey politics |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/05/201357182319457288.html |access-date=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Uras |first=Umut |date=8 May 2013 |title=Turkey's pullout politics |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2013/5/8/planned-pkk-pullout-heats-up-turkey-politics |access-date=13 June 2021 |website=www.aljazeera.com |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |language=en}}</ref> On 21 March 2013, a ceasefire was announced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Letsch |first=Constanze |date=7 May 2013 |title=Kurds dare to hope as PKK fighters' ceasefire with Turkey takes hold |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/07/kurds-pkk-turkey-peace-talks |access-date=13 June 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref> On 25 April, it was announced that the PKK would leave Turkey. Commander [[Murat Karayılan]] remarked "As part of ongoing preparations, the withdrawal will begin on May 8, 2013. Our forces will use their right to retaliate in the event of an attack, operation or bombing against our withdrawing guerrilla forces and the withdrawal will immediately stop."<ref>{{cite web |title=PKK sets date for withdrawal from Turkey |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/04/201342513922579836.html |access-date=13 June 2021 |website=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref> The semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq welcomed the idea of refugees from its northern neighbor.<ref name="Baghdad">{{cite news |date=9 May 2013 |title=Baghdad opposes PKK armed groups in Iraq |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/05/201359133815629930.html |access-date=10 May 2013 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref> The BDP held meetings across the region to state the pending withdrawal to concerned citizens. "The 8th of May is a day we both anticipate and fear," said party leader Pinar Yilmaz. "We don't trust the government at all. Many people here are afraid that once the guerrillas are gone, the Turkish military will crack down on us again."<ref name="dare">{{cite news |last=Letsch |first=Constanze |date=7 May 2013 |title=Kurds dare to hope as PKK fighters' ceasefire with Turkey takes hold |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/07/kurds-pkk-turkey-peace-talks |access-date=10 May 2013 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

The withdrawal began as planned with groups of fighters crossing the border from southeastern Turkey to northern Iraq.<ref name="Peace" /> Iraqi leadership in Baghdad, however, declared that it would not accept armed groups into its territory. "The Iraqi government welcomes any political and peaceful settlement", read an official statement. "[But] it does not accept the entry of armed groups to its territories that can be used to harm Iraq's security and stability."<ref name="Baghdad" /> The prospect of armed Kurdish forces in northern Iraq threatens to increase tensions between the region and Baghdad who are already at odds over certain oil producing territory. PKK spokesman Ahmet Deniz sought to ease concerns stating the plan would boost democracy. "The [peace] process is not aimed against anyone," he said "and there is no need for concerns that the struggle will take on another format and pose a threat to others."<ref name="Baghdad" />

It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 PKK fighters resided in Turkey at the time.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} The withdrawal process was expected to take several months even if Iraq does not intervene to try to stop it.<ref name="Baghdad" /> On 14 May 2013, the first groups of 13 male and female fighters entered Iraq's Heror area near the Metina mountain after leaving Turkey. They carried with them Kalashnikov assault rifles, light machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers before a welcoming ceremony.<ref>[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/05/20135147251149191.html PKK fighters arrive in Iraq under peace deal – Middle East]. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 July 2013.</ref>

On 29 July 2013, the PKK issued an ultimatum in saying that the peace deal would fail if reforms were not begun to be implemented within a month.<ref>{{cite web |title=PKK sets ultimatum for Turkey peace deal – Europe |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/video/europe/2013/07/20137291195529967.html |access-date=14 August 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> In October, Cemil Bayik warned that unless Turkey resumed the peace process, the PKK would resume operations to defend itself against it. He also criticized Turkey of waging a proxy war against Kurds during the [[Syrian Civil War]] by supporting other extremist rebels who were [[Rojava conflict|fighting them]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PKK threatens to renew fight in Turkey – Europe |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/10/pkk-threatens-renew-fight-turkey-201310226444407255.html |access-date=14 August 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> As part of the civil war, many PKK fighters laid down arms in Turkey and moved to Syria, facilitating the creation of a [[Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria|progressive Kurdish government in Rojava]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Americans Shouldn't Accept Erdogan's Cynical Stance on the PKK |url=https://www.aei.org/op-eds/americans-shouldnt-accept-erdogans-cynical-stance-on-the-pkk/ |work=American Enterprise Institute – AEI}}</ref>

Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani backed the initiative saying, alongside Erdogan: "This is a historic visit for me ... We all know it would have been impossible to speak here 15 or 20 years ago. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has taken a very brave step towards peace. I want my Kurdish and Turkish brothers to support the peace process."<ref>{{cite web |title=Iraq's Kurdistan backs Turkey peace efforts – Middle East |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/11/iraq-kurdistan-backs-turkey-peace-efforts-201311161740245104.html |access-date=14 August 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref>