TEHRAN – Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler says Iran dealt a heavy blow to the Kurdish militant group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its offshoot PJAK during the 12-day U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran back in June. 

The minister stated at a press conference that Turkey has been providing Tehran with daily intelligence on the PKK and its affiliate, PJAK. Contrary to their promise to disarm, and in anticipation of a government overthrow in Iran during the Israeli war, the groups instead transferred armed forces from Iraq.

He said that thanks to this intelligence, Iran carried out operations against PJAK.

“During the Israel–Iran war, PJAK in Iran made statements along these lines, thinking that Iran would lose the war and that there might even be a change of government in Iran. The conflict between Israel and Iran did not end in the way they wanted, and Iran inflicted heavy losses on the terrorist organization PJAK by conducting operations against it,” said the minister.

“After the terrorist organization PKK announced that it would lay down its arms, it attempted to transfer many terrorists, weapons, and ammunition from northern Iraq to Iran. We informed Iran of this every day. They, in turn, carry out operations whenever they find the opportunity. Through this, Iran has also come to see the true face of the terrorist organization PJAK more clearly.”

He also said Turkey had busted the PKK, adding the terror group’s disarmament process would take place in line with the process that Ankara determines.

Iran has already welcomed the dissolution of the PKK, expressing hope this would lead to greater stability in Turkey and the wider region. The Iranian foreign ministry said in May that the announcement was "an important step towards rejecting violence and strengthening security."

The PKK, founded in the late 1970s by Abdullah Ocalan, announced its dissolution and the end of its four-decade armed fight against Turkey in early May 2025.

This comes as PJAK, a PKK offshoot founded in 2004, has been actively involved in operations against Iran over the past two decades. The group has been labelled a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and the United States. 

PJAK has carried out numerous attacks in western and northwestern Iranian provinces, including Kurdestan, killing both civilians and security forces. PJAK leaders say their long-term goal is to establish an autonomous Kurdish region within the Iranian state.

The Kurdish people are among the oldest Iranian ethnic groups. They established the first ancient Iranian empire—the Median Kingdom—which ruled over a significant portion of the Iranian plateau from the 7th century BCE until the mid-6th century BCE. Kurds became scattered across Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq due to foreign interference and aggression that fragmented Iran in modern history.

Israel is now one of the primary patrons of separatist Kurdish groups, which have gained some sway in Turkey and Iraq but have failed to achieve meaningful traction in Iran.