Shafaq News – Duhok
On Tuesday, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani and former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu agreed that ongoing peace efforts between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) should move forward in a way that benefits the entire Middle East.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Barzani met Davutoglu on the sidelines of the Middle East Peace & Security (MEPS) Forum 2025 in Duhok, to discuss KRG–Turkiye ties, broader Iraq–Turkiye relations, and regional developments.
Both stressed the need to maintain progress in the peace process, the statement said. Under the ongoing framework, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has ordered disarmament, and the group’s units have begun withdrawing from Turkiye.
Read more: Turkiye’s cautious gamble: PKK disarmament and the regional chessboard
The meeting came as the PKK withdrew its fighters from the Zap region in northern Iraq, describing the step as
support for the ongoing peace process with Turkiye.