Qandil (Iraq), October 26 (LaPresse) – The Kurdish militant group PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) announced today that it will withdraw its fighters from both Turkey and Iraq as part of a peace effort with the government of Ankara. The statement was made in northern Iraq. In a press conference, Sabri Ok, a member of the Kurdish umbrella organization, the Kurdistan Communities Union, stated that all PKK forces in Turkey have been withdrawn to northern Iraq "to avoid clashes or provocations." Then, in a statement read in Turkish, Ok said that the move was made with the approval of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, currently in prison. Vejin Dersim, a member of the PKK's women's wing, read the statement in Kurdish. "Furthermore, similar regulatory measures have been adopted regarding positions along the border that could pose a risk of clashes or potential provocations," Ok added.