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Turkish columnist Abdulkadir Selvi reported that the terrorist group PKK's Makhmur camp in Iraq is being dismantled as part of ongoing disarmament efforts, with a tripartite mechanism established between Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the regional Kurdish government, and Iraq's central government.
In his column in Turkish media outlet Hurriyet on Monday, titled "PKK's Makhmur camp is being emptied," Selvi said preparations are underway to clear the camp, which has operated since the 1990s and has been used as a base for the PKK
The evacuation represents a significant step in what Selvi described as the "terror-free Türkiye" process aimed at complete PKK disarmament.
"The evacuation of the Makhmur camp is one of the important steps taken in this direction," Selvi wrote.
According to Selvi's report, Iraqi authorities have established a three-way coordination mechanism involving MIT, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), and Iraq's central government to oversee the Makhmur camp evacuation process.
"A tripartite mechanism consisting of MIT, regional government and central Iraqi government was established in Iraq," Selvi wrote. "Preparations began for the evacuation of Makhmur Camp, which has been operating since the 1990s and is considered PKK's breeding ground."
Selvi noted that on July 11, a group of PKK members burned their weapons in northern Iraq as the first step in a new process. Whether the disarmament continued after that date had remained unclear, he said.
According to Selvi, the tripartite mechanism has now moved to implement disarmament in Iraq, where PKK camps are located.
The Makhmur camp, established by the United Nations in 1998 and later taken over by the PKK, houses both PKK members and families displaced from Turkish border villages. The PKK also controls a civilian camp in Sinjar.
Selvi wrote that emptying Makhmur is significant in the PKK’s disarmament process, but stressed that the essential goal is "to leave the weapons in the minds."
"PKK is not just composed of terrorists holding weapons," he wrote.
“Otherwise, weapons are left here and taken from somewhere else," he wrote, noting that the PKK includes not only armed terrorists in Qandil or caves but also its European wing, financial operators, logisticians, and foreign liaisons.
On Sept. 13, 2024, MIT killed Azad Akinci, codenamed "Adil Mardin," identified as the ringleader of the PKK/KCK's Makhmur Camp, in a targeted operation in northern Iraq.
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