Turkey's Kurdish Regions Not Yet Ready To Believe In Peace Process
In a slickly managed ceremony across the border in Iraq Friday, members of the Kurdish rebel group PKK destroyed their weapons as part of a peace process underway with the Turkish state.
But on the streets and in the tea houses of Hakkari, a Kurdish-majority town some 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the Iraqi border, few people express much hope that the deadly conflict is over.
Police, including undercover officers, patrol the streets of the small town and make their presence felt, an AFP team observed, which discouraged locals from wanting to talk to visiting reporters.
One tea drinker who was willing to speak asked not to be filmed.
"We don't talk about it because we never know what will happen tomorrow," he explained.
"We can say something now and tomorrow be punished for it," he added, noting that previous peace attempts have failed.
The conflict has caused 50,000 deaths among civilians and 2,000 among soldiers, according to Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On the pavement in front of the restaurant where he works, Mehmet Duman raised his eyebrows. At 26, he's already seen enough to make him doubt.
"They segregated us, beat us, simply because we're Kurdish," he said. "We witnessed all kinds of persecution.
"So from now on, if the state wants a future for Turkey -- if they want Turkey to be a good environment for everyone -- they must stop all this," he said.
"The state must also take a step" to match the symbolic operation to destroy PKK weapons in Iraq.
"Turkey has won," Erdogan said Saturday, a day after the PKK's symbolic destruction of weapons signalling the start of the disarmament process.
"Eighty-six million citizens have won," he added.
While he has opened a peace process with the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers' Party, he has also continued his crackdown on opposition parties.
The government has arrested hundreds of members of the CHP, a social-democratic, secular party descended from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. The main opposition force to Erdogan, it is rising in the polls.
"Since the beginning of the peace process, Turkey has become a much more authoritarian country," said political analyst Berk Esen.
"The disarmament of a terrorist organization should, or could, lead to democratization and social peace, but it probably won't."
Those arrested include the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, the party's likely candidate in the next presidential elections, and the mayors of other major cities who took power when CHP made major gains in March 2024 local elections.
Accused of "corruption", they deny the charges against them.
The crackdown has also hit opposition media outlets, such as the Sozcu channel. It was forced into silence after 16 fines and suspensions since January -- "one every two weeks", its director, Ozgur Cakmakci, noted Tuesday evening as lights went out.
"There is little doubt that there is an intention to liquidate opposition channels as part of an authoritarian project," said Erol Onderoglu, the Turkish representative of Reporters Without Borders.
"We know what we are doing. No one should worry, be afraid, or question anything. Everything we are doing is for Turkey, for our future and our independence," he insisted. While he has opened a peace process with the PKK, Erdogan has continued his crackdown on opposition parties AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
2 minutes ago
- Int'l Business Times
Cambodia Calls For Ceasefire With Thailand After Deadly Clashes
Cambodia wants an "immediate ceasefire" with Thailand, the country's envoy to the United Nations said Friday, after the neighbors traded deadly strikes for a second day, with Bangkok also signaling an openness to talks. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Friday. "Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire -- unconditionally -- and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," said Phnom Penh's UN ambassador Chhea Keo following a closed meeting of the Council attended by Cambodia and Thailand. A steady thump of artillery strikes could be heard from the Cambodian side of the border Friday, where the province of Oddar Meanchey reported one civilian -- a 70-year-old man -- had been killed and five more wounded. More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from Thailand's border regions, its health ministry said, reporting 15 fatalities -- 14 civilians and a soldier -- with a further 46 wounded, including 15 troops. Fighting resumed in three areas around 4 am on Friday (2100 GMT Thursday), the Thai army said, with Cambodian forces firing heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, and Thai troops responding "with appropriate supporting fire." Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nikorndej Balankura told AFP that fighting had begun to ease off by Friday afternoon, however, adding that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. "We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far we have not had any response," Nikorndej told AFP, speaking before the UN meeting had been held. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Earlier, acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had warned that if the situation escalated, "it could develop into war." "For now, it remains limited to clashes," he told reporters in Bangkok. Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. At the UN, Cambodia's envoy questioned Thailand's assertion that his country, which is smaller and less militarily developed than its neighbor, had initiated the conflict. "(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well," said Chhea Keo. None of the other attendees of the UNSC meeting spoke to reporters. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbors -- both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists -- over their shared 800-kilometer (500-mile) border. Dozens of kilometers in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples. Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border. In the Cambodian town of Samraong, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border, AFP journalists saw families speeding away in vehicles with their children and belongings as gunfire erupted. "I live very close to the border. We are scared," Pro Bak, 41, told AFP. He was taking his wife and children to a Buddhist temple to seek refuge. Thai artillery damaged this pagoda in Oddar Meanchey province AFP People fled their homes on both sides of the border after the latest violence erupted AFP
Int'l Business Times
11 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Cambodian Evacuees Sheltering In Temple Pray For End To Thai Clashes
In the leafy grounds of a Buddhist pagoda, hundreds of Cambodians fleeing deadly clashes with Thailand take refuge in the open air, most sitting on the ground while a lucky few doze in hammocks. The deadliest fighting in over a decade between the two neighbours has sent thousands of villagers fleeing the border zone in Cambodia. As artillery clashes erupted Thursday, Salou Chan, 36, grabbed some belongings, clothes, his two kids, and sped away from his home, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from disputed temples on the frontline. "I fear for the safety of my children, they are still small. For me, I could have stayed at home, but I worried for my children -- they were scared of the sound of gunfire," he told AFP. "I don't know when I will be able to return home but I want them to stop fighting soon. Nobody's looking after my rice paddy and livestock." He and his family have joined hundreds of others in the grounds of the temple in Oddar Meanchey province. With no proper shelter, most sit on the bare ground and rig up makeshift tents with plastic sheeting. The evacuees have only the food and water they brought with them to sustain them while they wait for the chance to go home. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting on Thursday with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops doing battle, and more exchanges on Friday. Thailand says more than 138,000 people have been evacuated from its border regions, and 15 people killed. Cambodia has been more tight-lipped about casualties, though Oddar Meanchey provincial authorities reported one civilian -- a 70-year-old man -- had been killed and five more wounded. Chhorn Khik, 55, who fled to the pagoda with her two grandchildren, said she was relieved to have escaped the conflict zone. "I am no longer scared. Yesterday I was so scared, I was crying along the way," she told AFP. "I feel pity for the soldiers at the frontline. We are scared, but we could escape, but those soldiers, they are fighting for us and the nation." Thailand has said it is willing to start talks but also warned that the conflict could develop into a full-blown war if Cambodia is not willing to de-escalate. Yoeun Rai, 55, who fled with 10 of her family, said she was so anxious she could not eat. "I am praying this will end soon so that we can go back home," she told AFP. The deadliest fighting in over a decade between the two neighbours has sent thousands of villagers fleeing the border zone in Cambodia AFP
Int'l Business Times
12 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
African Armies Turn To Drones With Devastating Civilian Impact
The Easter period usually offers a rare respite in Gedeb, in Ethiopia's deeply troubled north, but on April 17 death rained from the skies in this sleepy town caught up in a war between rebels and the army. On this important holiday for Ethiopian Orthodox and Protestant Christians, many families had gathered in the morning to repair the local primary school. But out of the blue, shortly before 11:00 am (1400 GMT), "a drone fired on the crowd and pulverised many people right in front of my eyes", a resident told AFP. Ethiopia and many other African nations are increasingly turning to drones as a low-cost means of waging war, often with mixed military results but devastating consequences for civilian populations. Last year, Ethiopia carried out a total of 54 drone strikes, compared to 62 attacks in Mali, 82 in Burkina Faso and 266 in Sudan, according to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a US-based monitor. According to one of two Gedeb residents contacted by AFP, the strike killed "at least" 50 people, and according to the second, more than 100 -- a figure corroborated by several local media outlets. It is one of the deadliest in a series of drone attacks since the conflict began in August 2023, pitting the Ethiopian army against the Fano, the traditional "self-defence" militias of the Amhara ethnic group. A shoe seller at the scene, whose nephew was killed instantly, also blamed an armed drone that continued to "hover in the air" some 20 minutes after the strike. "The sight was horrific: there were heads, torsos and limbs flying everywhere and seriously injured people screaming in pain," he recalled. Ethiopian authorities have not released any information about this attack in Amhara, where the security situation makes some areas very difficult to access and communications are subject to significant restrictions. The Ethiopian army's use of drones, which began during the bloody Tigray War (2020-2022), has since spread to the Amhara and Oromia regions amid multiple insurgencies. In the Amhara region alone, now the hardest-hit, at least 669 people have been killed in more than 70 drone strikes since 2023, according to ACLED data analysed by AFP. Remotely piloted aircraft used for reconnaissance and strikes -- low-cost technologies now ubiquitous in current conflicts and particularly in Ukraine -- are generating massive interest in Africa. Some 30 African governments have acquired drones, according to data cross-referenced by AFP from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) "Military Balance" and the Center for a New American Security's Drone Proliferation Dataset. For decades, wars in Africa had been fought on land, conducted primarily by light and mobile infantry units. "Drones offer sub-Saharan African militaries more affordable and flexible access to air power, which has been out of reach until now due to its cost and operational complexity," said Djenabou Cisse, a west African security specialist at the Foundation for Strategic Research. Countries like China, Turkey and Iran have the advantage of selling drones "without attaching any political conditionality related to respect for human rights", she added. Among African military commands, the most popular is undoubtedly the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone, which, along with its big brother, the Akinci, has dethroned the Chinese Wing Loong in recent years. The TB2 made a notable appearance in 2019 in Libya, the first African theatre of drone warfare, between the Ankara-backed Government of National Accord and its eastern rival, Marshal Haftar, equipped with Chinese weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates. The following year, its deployment in the Karabakh region during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and then in Ukraine starting in 2022, boosted its popularity. Orders soared and waiting lists grew. While contract details are kept secret, experts consulted by AFP estimate that a "system" of three drones costs nearly $6 million -- significantly less than the several tens of millions for a fighter jet or combat helicopter. This offsets its rather average performance, with a range limited to 150 kilometres (75 miles). The TB2 is produced by private company Baykar, headed by the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It "is now an integral part of Turkey's foreign policy, whose strategy is to export its military products worldwide," said Batu Coskun, a researcher at the Sediq Institute in Tripoli. The growing footprint of Turkish drones in Africa is partly due to the fact that unlike the West, Ankara is free from the cumbersome export control procedures for military equipment. "It's essentially at the president's discretion," he said. After severing ties with former colonial ruler France, the military regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have turned to Turkish drones to attack jihadist fighters as well as separatists. In December last year, the Malian army eliminated a leader and several members of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a pro-independence coalition, in a drone attack. In November 2023, drones played a decisive role in the recapture of the northern Malian city of Kidal from predominantly Tuareg rebels. A senior Malian officer praised the "discretion" of Turkish military cooperation. "When you pay for military equipment in the West, it has to go through political agreements, negotiations," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "With Turkey, we have a speed that we don't have elsewhere, not even in Russia or China," two countries that also supply military equipment, he added. According to a young Malian surveillance drone pilot, who also wished to remain anonymous, the Turkish aircraft "are easy to pilot, which means we don't need a long training period". In Chad, four Turkish drones have replaced French fighter jets at the forward bases they occupied until N'Djamena ended its military cooperation agreements with France at the end of 2024. The latter had repeatedly provided air support to help the Chadian government halt the advance of rebels threatening the capital. The capital N'Djamena is equipped with only five Russian Sukhoi aircraft and as many ageing Mi-24 helicopters. Contrary to Franco-Chadian relations, "there is no military cooperation agreement (between N'Djamena and Ankara) but a trade agreement that allows us to acquire military equipment", a Chadian officer told AFP. Turks are present to provide technical assistance and the former French bases are "entirely in the hands of the Chadian military", the same source added. This flexible cooperation on drones clearly illustrates the desire of some African leaders to "assert their sovereignty and greater strategic autonomy". said researcher Djenabou Cisse. On the ground, however, the tactical and strategic gains from the use of drones do not always materialise, several experts said. "Drones alone cannot defeat an adversary," Cisse said, adding: "We saw this in Libya, where both sides had sophisticated drones, and more recently in Sudan, where each side uses drones, but with very unequal capabilities." "Not only have these countries failed to fully stabilise but conflicts have often become entrenched or even escalated," the researcher added. Drones are proving especially decisive in open terrain, when the enemy is unable to disperse and hide as is the case with jihadists in the Sahel, according to a detailed study by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). In Ethiopia, they helped turn the tide of the conflict in Tigray at a key moment, giving a decisive advantage to federal forces without, however, securing a definitive victory. In the summer of 2021, a large column of Tigray rebel forces, which reached within 200 kilometres of Addis Ababa and threatened to seize the capital, was stopped by the arsenal of drones deployed by the government. Analysis of satellite images by Dutch peace organisation PAX at several Ethiopian air bases confirmed the presence of TB2s and, more recently, the Akinci, as well as Chinese Wing Loongs and Iranian Mohajer-6s. These drones have "significantly increased the Ethiopian army's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as they can prowl for nearly 24 hours, track enemy movements, identify their positions, provide targeting information or directly strike targets," Wim Zwijnenburg, a drone specialist for PAX, told AFP. While the fighting subsequently focused primarily on Tigray, it continued into 2022 and high tensions remain in the region despite the conclusion of a fragile peace agreement, while other hotbeds of violent insurrection have spread to Amhara and Oromia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his peace efforts with neighbouring Eritrea, is now regularly accused of indiscriminate abuses against the population. "The drones continued to target civilians despite the presence of sophisticated sensor systems, high-definition cameras and night vision," supposedly allowing for better threat identification, said Zwijnenburg, deploring "a lack of operator training or, in the worst case, a deliberate decision". In Gedeb, the small Amhara town targeted during Passover, residents contacted by AFP said there had been no fighting in the area in the run-up to the attack. They live in constant fear now. "We are ready to flee to the bush at any moment in the event of a sudden drone strike," said one of them. "We live in extreme fear." This handout satellite photograph obtained from Planet Labs PBC on July 17, 2025, shows aircraft and a drone - believed to be a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 - on the tarmac of the Bahir Dar airbase in Amhara, Ethiopia on April 28, 2025 AFP A map of Africa showing drone strikes by locality since January 1, 2022, according to data from NGO Acled AFP A Turkish drone flies over in Kahramankazan, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ankara on October 23, 2024 AFP Infographic with a map of Africa showing the types of drones owned by country, according to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) AFP Turkish-made Bayraktar drones of the Albanian army are displayed at a NATO-backed airbase in Albania on March 4, 2024 AFP This handout satellite image taken on December 9, 2021 by Planet Labs PBC shows what Dutch peace organisation PAX says is a Turkish Bayrakter TB-2 drone parked outside a hangar at the northern part of Hara Meda air base in Bishoftu, Ethiopia AFP
