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Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Turkiye's Erdogan risks alienating voters as PKK peace advances
ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan risks losing support among nationalist Turkish voters in making peace with Kurdistan Workers Party militants, whose burning of weapons last week was dismissed by some as a stunt. A backlash to Erdogan's call on Saturday for wide parliamentary support for the process underlines the challenge he faces in balancing nationalist and Kurdish demands, with a failure to do so potentially jeopardizing the plan's success. Erdogan's own future is also at stake: his term runs out in 2028 unless parliament backs the idea of early elections or a change in the constitution to extend a 22-year rule in which he has raised NATO member Turkiye's profile on the world stage. He insists that personal political considerations play no role. 'The doors of a new powerful Turkiye have been flung wide open,' he said on Saturday of the symbolic initial handover of arms. While his AKP party's far-right nationalist coalition partner MHP drove the peace process, smaller nationalist parties have condemned it. They recalled his years condemning the pro-Kurdish DEM party as being tied to the 40-year PKK insurgency that the PKK now says is over. Erdogan's comments about 'walking together' with DEM drew a cool response from the pro-Kurdish party itself, with DEM lawmaker Pervin Buldan saying there was no broad political alliance between it and the AKP. AKP spokesperson Omer Celik reaffirmed the president's nationalist credentials in response to a request for comment on his statement, saying the process 'is not give-and-take, negotiation, or bargaining.' Parliament is convening a commission tasked with deciding how to address Kurdish demands for more autonomy and the reintegration of fighters complying with the February disarmament call of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The nationalist opposition IYI Party is refusing to take part, with its leader Musavat Dervisoglu describing the peace process at the weekend as a betrayal after a conflict which has killed more than 40,000 people. 'We will not allow the Republic to be destroyed, we will not allow the Turkish homeland to be divided, we will not surrender to betrayal,' he said. Umit Ozdag, head of the opposition Victory Party, also sought to stir nationalist passions, slamming the commission as a bid to legitimize the PKK and dismissing the event where 30 PKK members burned their guns as a 'barbecue party.' 'You don't just burn 30 rifles and call it a day. Weapons are surrendered, and PKK members interrogated one-by-one.' A senior Turkish official said the gun burning was an 'irreversible turning point.' It is part of a five-stage process culminating in legal reforms and social reconciliation by early 2026, according to another Turkish source. NUMBER CRUNCHING While those parties could not derail the peace process alone, Erdogan, a shrewed political operator, is likely to closely monitor public reaction as the commission starts its work. A private June survey by the Konda pollster seen by Reuters showed that only 12 percent of respondents believe the PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkiye and its Western allies, has abandoned the insurgency that it launched in 1984. It also showed potential candidates for the opposition CHP, now subject to a wide-ranging legal crackdown, beating Erdogan in head-to-head votes in an election. Erdogan critics say the peace process is aimed at drawing Kurdish support for a new constitution that would both boost their rights and allow him to be a candidate in 2028. He says reform is needed because the constitution is outdated rather than for any personal reasons and he has not committed to running again. It is unclear whether the commission will propose constitutional change, but such changes require the support of 400 MPs in the 600-seat assembly with the potential for a referendum if more than 360 MPs vote in favor. The AKP-MHP alliance has 319 seats, while DEM have 56. Any move to hold early elections would also require 360 votes, but that — and the peace process itself — would depend on keeping DEM on board. After meeting the justice minister on Wednesday, DEM's Buldan said she had insisted that PKK disarmament proceed in lock-step with legal changes. 'The minister expressed commitment to ensuring the process proceeds legally and constitutionally,' she said, adding that there was no specific timeline for disarmament.
France 24
11-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
PKK militants want to enter Turkish politics: top commander
Speaking to AFP after handing in her own weapon alongside 29 of her comrades, the Kurdistan Workers' Party's top female commander Bese Hozat said if Turkey were willing, the disarmament process could be completed very quickly. But the 47-year-old militant also warned the fragile peace process risked being derailed if Ankara fails to free the PKK's jailed founder Abdullah Ocalan, also known as 'Apo' -- Kurdish for 'uncle'. "If Apo were freed tomorrow and... Turkey made legal and constitutional arrangements the next day, within a week we could return to engage in democratic politics," she said of a process which Ankara expects to last for months. Ocalan has been serving a life sentence in solitary confinement on the prison island of Imrali near Istanbul since 1999 and his release has been a constant demand of the PKK. - 'We miss him very much' - "Ensuring leader Apo's physical freedom legally, via legal guarantees, is essential... he should be able to freely lead and manage this process. This is our primary condition and demand," she said. "We want to see him, we miss him very much and there are many things we want to discuss with him," said Hozat, who joined the PKK when she was 16 and has spent more than three decades of her life as a fighter. "Without this development, it is highly unlikely that the process will continue successfully." Earlier this week, the 76-year-old dismissed talk of his own release as unimportant, positioning himself more as a guide than as a leader of the ongoing process. Hozat said it was essential Turkey put in place mechanisms to allow them to return without fear of prosecution or reprisal. "We do not want to wage armed struggle against Turkey, we want to come to Turkey and do democratic politics. In order for us... to achieve democratic integration with Turkey, it is imperative we can freely travel to Turkey," she said. "If Turkey takes concrete steps, enacts laws and implements radical legal reforms... we will go to Turkey and engage in politics. If (not)... we will end up either in prison or being killed." 'The PKK no longer exists' Asked whether she now expected Turkey and its Western allies to remove the PKK from their blacklists of terrorist organisations, Hozat said the issue was irrelevant. "Right now, the PKK no longer exists, we've dissolved it. We are a freedom movement.. advocating for peace and a democratic society. "The PKK has achieved its main goal: the existence of the Kurds has been recognised." Seen as the world's largest stateless people, the Kurds were left without a country when the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I. Although most live in Turkey, where they make up around a fifth of the population, the Kurds are also spread across Iraq, Iran and Syria, where Ankara has for years been striking Kurdish fighters. Hozat hailed positive changes in Syria since the PKK announced the end of its armed struggle against Turkey. "Turkish attacks on (Kurdish-majority) northeastern Syria have ceased and its autonomous administration is currently negotiating" with the Damascus government. Hozat said the Kurdish question was the key to freedom for all peoples of the Middle East. "If the Kurdish question is resolved, the Middle East can truly become a democracy," she said. "That's why we want this solution everywhere, including Iran, which must also become democratic. The Kurdish question must also be resolved there on the basis of autonomy." © 2025 AFP
The National
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Dr Anwar Gargash hails PKK leader's call to move away from violence
, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, has praised the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for calling for the group to lay down its weapons. Jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan said the PKK and its 'national liberation war strategy have come to an end', in a video message dated June 19 and released on Wednesday. Ocalan, whose group is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union, has been detained in a prison on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, since his capture by Turkish security forces in 1999. 'The announcement by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to end the 'armed struggle' and shift to constitutional and legal action is a courageous decision that reflects a profound rational review,' said Mr Gargash, in a post on social media platform X. 'Our region is in bad need of such reviews to learn the lessons of the experience, avoid the repetition of mistakes and open new paths that serve the interest of the peoples and the regional stability.' Ocalan founded the PKK in the 1970s. The group waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades in an attempt to secure greater rights for the country's Kurdish minority. Around one-fifth of Turkey's population is ethnically Kurdish. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people on both sides and the PKK became Ankara's number one security priority. Ocalan first called on PKK members to disarm and dissolve the group in February, in a move that opened the way to end one of the Middle East's most intractable conflicts. At the time, his message was read out by members of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political party, the People's Democracy and Equality Party (DEM).
Arab News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pro-Kurdish MPs to meet Erdogan after Ocalan talks
ISTANBUL: Lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party were to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for talks described by jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan as having a 'historic nature.' DEM, Turkiye's third biggest party, has played a key role in facilitating an emerging peace deal between the government and Ocalan, whose militant group the PKK in May ended its decades-long armed struggle and disband. On Sunday, the delegation traveled to Imrali island where Ocalan has been serving a life sentence in solitary confinement since 1999. They said they had had 'a very productive two-and-a-half hour meeting' with the 76-year-old former militant. 'He said he attached great importance our delegation's meeting with the president which was of a historic nature,' the delegation said in a statement. 'Similarly, he said the commission to be established in the Turkish (parliament) will also play a major role in directing the peace and the solution.' With the process 'entering a new phase' it was very important everyone played their role, he told them. 'His hope, confidence and belief in the contribution of this process to the democratization of Turkiye as a whole is extremely strong,' they said. The three-strong delegation that went to Imrali included lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar and lawyer Ozgur Faik Erol, DEM said. The delegation would meet with DEM's leadership on Monday morning then Buldan and Sancar would head to the presidential palace for talks with Erdogan at 1200 GMT, it said. The meeting came as the PKK was to hold a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan to start destroying a first tranche of weapons — which will likely take place on or around 10-12 July. Erdogan said the move would give momentum to peace efforts with the Kurds. The disarmament process is expected to unfold over the coming months.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace
Türkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the militant Kurdish group's announcement that it is dissolving and ending its decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state. The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East's longest-running insurgencies. In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle. Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions. 'We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state's determination in this regard,' Fahrettin Altun, the head of the Turkish presidential communications office said. The PKK initially launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the 1980s. The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled 'Terror-Free Türkiye' was launched in October, after a key ally of Erdogan suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands. Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK's decision. Media close to the government have reported that the PKK's disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision. According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq. The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration. Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report. Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment. Erdogan said Monday the PKK's declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria. The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan's call for a dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria. The group then reached an agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the Syrian government. Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan's government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.
