Turkey's PKK peace commission will meet Tuesday
Pro-Kurdish party demands guarantee for return of PKK fighters to Turkey
Turkey's peace process commission to begin work in early August: Speaker
Ocalan expects parliamentary commission will contribute to peace process
Association calls on Zaza Kurds in Turkey to boost mother tongue
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The first meeting of Turkey's newly formed parliamentary commission established to provide legal and political frameworks for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) will take place on Tuesday, state media reported on Friday.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus invited the 51 members of the commission to attend the inaugural meeting where they will make decisions about how the commission will operate, according to Anadolu Agency.
The commission was established as part of peace negotiations between the Turkish government and the PKK. It includes members from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the AKP's governing ally the ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) whose leader Devlet Bahceli last year launched the peace process by calling on jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan to announce his group's dissolution, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) that has been mediating the peace talks, and several other smaller parties, including Kurdish ones.
As part of the peace process, the PKK held a disarmament ceremony in Sulaimani province on July 11, when 30 members and commanders burned their weapons. The group decided to lay down arms after Ocalan urged them to pursue a political solution to obtain rights for Kurds in Turkey instead of armed conflict.
Some PKK fighters based in Duhok province told Rudaw in July that they fear reprisals if they return to Turkey. Many are opting to remain in the mountains.
Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the executive council of PKK umbrella group the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in July said they will not commit to further disarmament until Turkey makes legal reforms to address discrimination of its Kurdish population, and if Ankara fails to take action, then other groups will emerge and pick up the fight.
A DEM Party delegation last week met with Ocalan, who said he hopes the parliamentary commission will make important contributions to the peace process.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised Ocalan, saying he 'has provided and continues to provide all kinds of support on this issue.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rudaw Net
4 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
UNSG urges calm amid renewed violence in northern, southern Syria
Also in Syria State-affiliated factions, Kurdish-led forces clash again in northern Syria Civilian killed in 'terrorist cell' attack on Kurdish forces in Rojava Two dead in Suwayda clashes despite ceasefire Israeli army seizes weapons in southern Syria raid NEW YORK - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the escalating intercommunal violence in Syria's southern Suwayda province and new clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus-aligned groups in northern Syria, his spokesperson said Monday. In response to a question from Rudaw about the security developments in Syria, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UNSG said Guterres is 'concerned over reports of clashes in Suwayda' and 'the worrisome reports of fighting in the north of Syria.' The remarks came hours after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava) - on Monday accused factions affiliated with Damascus of launching 'an attack on four of our positions' in Syria's northern Aleppo province, holding Damascus 'fully responsible' for the assault. A day earlier, the SDF and Damascus exchanged blame for a previous attack in northern Syria's Manbij city, which reportedly injured four Syrian government troops and three civilians. On Sunday as well, two people were killed in deadly clashes that erupted again in Syria's southern Suwayda province after more than two weeks of a fragile ceasefire. The violence first broke out on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Suwayda. It quickly escalated with the involvement of Syrian government forces and Israeli airstrikes in support of the Druze before a US-brokered ceasefire was declared on July 18. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the violence has left nearly 1,400 people dead, while the UN added that approximately 175,000 have been displaced as a result. Haq quoted the UNSG as urging 'all parties to immediately stop the violence and restore calm,' reminding them 'of their obligations to protect civilians.' He further underlined that 'it is imperative to support a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria.'
Rudaw Net
5 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
SDF-Damascus tensions could stall Ankara-PKK peace process: MP
Also in Middle East Turkey wants to use full capacity of pipeline with Iraq: Minister Turkey calls on SDF to expedite integration with Damascus Turkey says SDF must prove commitment to integration deal with Damascus Turkey accuses Israel of trying to 'divide Syria,' vows to intervene A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Escalating tensions between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus-aligned forces in northern Syria risk undermining the renewed peace efforts between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish government, a lawmaker from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party mediating the peace initiative warned on Monday. In an interview with Rudaw, Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a member of the Turkish parliament representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), described the security situation in northern Syria as 'worrying.' 'If an agreement isn't reached in Syria [between Damascus and the SDF],' particularly 'on the status of [northeast Syria] Rojava, I don't think the [peace] process in Turkey will succeed,' he warned, referring to renewed peace efforts between Ankara and the PKK. The SDF, Rojava's de facto military, has long served as the main ground partner of the US-led Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. On March 10, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to integrate all civil and military institutions in Rojava, including the Kurdish-led forces, under the authority of the Syrian state. Talks on the implementation of the agreement have since been ongoing with differing interpretations of the integration process emerging as a major sticking point. While the SDF seeks to join the Syrian army as a unified bloc, Damascus prefers integrating fighters individually and dispersing them across its regular units. The DEM Party lawmaker's remarks followed the outbreak of new clashes between the SDF and Syrian government forces in northern Syria in the last two days. The Kurdish-led forces on Monday accused factions affiliated with Damascus of launching 'an attack on four of our positions' in Syria's northern Aleppo province, holding Damascus 'fully responsible' for the assault. A day earlier, the SDF and Damascus exchanged blame for a previous attack recorded in northern Syria's Manbij city that reportedly injured four Syrian government troops and three civilians. Gergerlioglu drew parallels with the 2013-2015 peace process between Ankara and the PKK, which collapsed amid heightened tensions over the Syrian civil war and Turkey's opposition to the rising influence of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - a group Ankara views as an affiliate of the PKK - in northern Syria. Domestically, Turkey's newly formed parliamentary commission - tasked with developing the legal and political framework for PKK disarmament - is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. The 51-member body includes representatives from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), AKP's ultranationalist ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the DEM Party, and several smaller parties. 'The commission's biggest task right now is determining the legal status of PKK fighters after disarmament,' Gergerlioglu said. 'There will be discussions around a new law,' he added, noting that 'some amendments and reversals of existing laws,' might take place. The commission's formation follows a symbolic disarmament gesture in early July, when 30 PKK fighters ceremonially set their weapons ablaze in the Kurdistan Region - a move widely interpreted as a show of goodwill toward the peace talks with Ankara.
Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan, Germany pledge stronger partnership
Shafaq News – Erbil Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed on Monday the Region's commitment to expanding its partnership with Germany across political, economic, and cultural fields. According to a statement from the Kurdish Presidency, Barzani met with Germany's Ambassador to Iraq, Christiane Hohmann, in Erbil as she concluded her diplomatic mission. During the meeting, Barzani praised Germany's role in supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, underscoring the Region's willingness to deepen cooperation with Berlin in 'all sectors of mutual interest.' Barzani also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Hohmann for her efforts in strengthening ties between Germany, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, wishing her success in her future assignments. سهرۆک نێچیرڤان بارزانی سوپاسی باڵیۆزی ئهڵمانیا دهکات — Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) August 4, 2025 Hohmann, for her part, voiced appreciation for the support she received from Kurdish authorities during her tenure and stressed that Germany places high importance on its relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, aiming to broaden collaboration further. The discussions also covered relations between Erbil and Baghdad, domestic political developments, and the broader situation in Syria and the region.
