While Türkiye and the PKK hold peace talks, the group continues military preparations in Iraq

Satellite imagery and security sources indicate that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is preparing for fresh clashes in Iraq, even as Türkiye continues peace negotiations with the outlawed group.

The process began after Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said that if necessary, Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK’s jailed leader in Türkiye, should be allowed to enter politics for a solution to be reached. Öcalan then called on the PKK to disarm and abandon demands for autonomy. The group held a symbolic disarmament ceremony, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the start of the process. Following his announcement, parliament established the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.”

(On July 11, PKK militants place their weapons into a cauldron to be burned.)

However, satellite images and security officials speaking to Mintel World show that preparations by the group in Iraq are continuing

Türkiye’s Claw Operations in Iraq

Following the PKK’s 2015 autonomy attempts and the failed coup in 2016, Turkish security forces adopted a more aggressive strategy. After domestic “sweeping operations” largely suppressed the group’s presence, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) launched the Claw operations, advancing up to 35 kilometers into Iraq along parts of the border to create buffer zones.

The peace process began just as the TAF had achieved nearly all of its operational objectives.

PKK’s Disarmament Process

Seven weeks have passed since the PKK’s disarmament ceremony, but there has been no announcement of any formal weapons handover to Turkish forces. Security sources told Mintel World that planned handover ceremonies had not taken place. Military officials noted that a ceasefire has held for weeks, with no clashes reported, but stressed that the group remains active, particularly in the Gara region.

Gara: The PKK’s Main Military Base

With the Turkish army consolidating control along the border, the PKK has turned Gara into its main base. Its most trained units, logistics hubs, and attack preparations are now concentrated there.

Satellite imagery analyzed by Mintel World has identified at least 39 tunnel and cave-based shelters in Gara.

Recent satellite images from the Gara region show growing piles of debris at tunnel entrances, indicating expansion.

(A PKK militant operates heavy machinery to expand a tunnel inside an underground PKK base in Iraq.)

Some tunnels have been widened to accommodate heavy machinery, and militants are actively using construction equipment inside them.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said 3,765 shelters have been destroyed in Iraq since 2019.

Military sources told Mintel World that reconnaissance has confirmed the PKK is enlarging tunnels, with nearly all members involved in the work except senior commanders. The sources also said the group has planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across multiple areas.

In Gara, militants posing as locals have been using pickup trucks and pack animals to accelerate fortification and resupply. The increase in such activity suggests field units and local commanders not only doubt the peace process with Turkey but are also preparing for a new round of conflict.