NNA - Kurdish militants who have fought for autonomy in Turkey for decades will begin withdrawing to Iraq within two weeks, Reuters quoted their commander Murat Karayilan as saying on Thursday.



The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) chief told a news conference in the group's mountainous stronghold of Qandil in northern Iraq that the pullout would begin on May 8. A Kurdish website had earlier given a date of May 5.



"The withdrawal is planned to be done gradually in groups and targeted to be completed in the shortest possible time," Karayilan said. "Our withdrawing forces will come and be based in southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan."



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