ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as “harmful weeds” that will "weaken the crop and reduce yields" if not cleared, Turkish state media reported Tuesday.

Erdogan said that the ongoing peace process with the PKK is based on "security and democratic legitimacy," Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported. 

He further referred to the militant group as “harmful weeds,” adding, “If weeds are not cleared, they will weaken the crop and reduce yields.” He stressed that solidarity and unity are the key to a solution.

“Our country will become even stronger once the [peace] process reaches its destination. Therefore, we are closely monitoring every step on the ground,” Erdogan said.

In late February, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called for the dissolution of all PKK-affiliated groups and the end of its armed activities, which have lasted over four decades.

The PKK in May announced its decision to dissolve and disband following the call of the organization’s detained founder, Ocalan, marking an end to their armed struggle against the Turkish state that spanned four decades and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

"The era of terrorism, weapons, violence, and illegality is now over. Seeking other paths when legitimate and acceptable ones exist is not only irrational but also contrary to the spirit of the times. No one can claim otherwise,” the Turkish president said in mid-May.

In a historic ceremony on July 11, 30 PKK fighters, including four commanders, destroyed and burned their weapons near Jasana Cave, in Sulaimani province’s Dukan district as symbolic first step of the nascent disarmament process. “We hope it will bring about peace and freedom,” members of the militant group said during the proceedings. "We hope that this step will bring good and happiness for our people, especially women and youth, the people of Turkey, the Middle East, and all humanity."

Late in August, Ocalan urged that the next steps in peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish state must proceed with urgency.

As part of efforts to advance a peace process, Turkey has formed a parliamentary commission to draft a legal framework for talks with the PKK. Sessions are being held under strict confidentiality, with records of the proceedings to be sealed for 10 years.

Founded in 1978, the PKK began as a movement for Kurdish independence but later redirected its efforts toward gaining political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Ankara and many Western governments classify the group as a terrorist organization.