Latest news with #Peoples'EqualityandDemocracyParty
Rudaw Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sudani, Erdogan discuss Ankara-PKK peace talks
Also in Middle East PKK disarmament could be completed within four months: Kurdish lawmaker President Barzani plays key role in PKK peace talks, says veteran politician Turkey continues to strike PKK ahead of disarmament: Watchdog France hails Iraq ties, stresses Kurdish inclusion in Syria's future A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday discussed the peace process between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) over the phone, hailing the talks as key to promoting regional stability. Sudani 'congratulated Mr. Erdogan on the peace agreement between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, stressing that the agreement will have a positive impact on the region, promoting stability, advancing development, and benefiting its people,' said a statement from Sudani's office. The PKK on Friday held a landmark ceremonial disarmament in Sulaimani province with 30 members and commanders - divided equally between men and women - burning their weapons before heading back to their hideouts. The decision to lay down arms was made following a call earlier this year by jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan for the PKK to pursue politics instead of armed conflict. On Saturday, Erdogan said that the formation of a parliamentary commission will be a 'first step' in peace talks between Turkey and the PKK, accusing previous governments of having oppressed Kurds instead of focusing on trying to end the PKK's armed struggle. He also admitted that Ankara had relied on 'wrong policies' in dealing with the PKK. Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) is the main mediator of the talks between the Turkish state and the PKK. Sudani and Erdogan also discussed bilateral ties during the phone call, as well as 'the need to prevent further escalation and resolve issues within the framework of dialogue and international laws and treaties,' according to the statement. The PKK, established in 1978, initially sought Kurdish independence before shifting its focus to securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara and its Western allies.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Barzani, DEM Party discuss Kurdish peace process
Also in Kurdistan Kurdish fighters burn weapons, signal end to armed struggle against Turkey Masoud Barzani indicates willing to visit Abdullah Ocalan Parents of fighters embrace peace as PKK burns weapons PKK disarmament was 'very emotional,' says DEM Party MP A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Friday with a delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) that was in the Kurdistan Region to attend a ceremonial disarmament of a group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters as part of peace talks with Ankara. President Barzani noted 'the importance of intensifying efforts to advance the peace process and praised today's step of PKK disarmament,' according to a statement from his office. Among the DEM Party delegation were party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan, co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan, veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk, and former lawmaker Leyla Zana. The DEM Party delegation expressed gratitude for President Barzani's support and his role in facilitating the peace process between the PKK and the Turkish state, the party said on X. A group of 30 PKK fighters symbolically burned their weapons in a ceremony in Sulaimani on Friday. The armed group has declared its intention to lay down weapons and pursue a political path in its struggle for Kurdish rights in Turkey. Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, said the Kurdistan Region's role in hosting the ceremony was met with broad approval from all parties involved, including the Turkish state. The Kurdistan Region has been the site of the majority of clashes between the PKK and Turkish forces for the past several years. 'Unfortunately, in the armed conflict that has existed on the ground the first victim in it has been the Kurdistan Region. We have dozens or I can say hundreds and more of our villages that have suffered damage and harm. We have given human losses. Damage to the environment and economy has befallen the people. And these are the direct impacts,' he told Rudaw. Turkish military operations, mainly in Duhok province, continued ahead of the disarmament ceremony, according to the US-based Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT). Founded in 1978, the PKK initially advocated for Kurdish independence, but later shifted its focus to securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey.
Rudaw Net
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rudaw Net
Legendary Kurdish singer's body returned to Diyarbakir after 29 years
Also in Turkey Erdogan vows action against magazine over alleged religious insult Turkey's Erdogan grants amnesty to ill Kurdish prisoner DEM Party pushes for parliamentary commission to shape PKK peace process DEM Party says Ankara-PKK peace process reached 'important' stage A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The body of renowned Kurdish singer Ayse San was returned to her hometown of Diyarbakir (Amed) in southeast Turkey on Wednesday, nearly three decades after her death from cancer and her burial in Izmir, the Diyarbakir municipality announced. In a statement, the municipality said that her body 'was welcomed by our co-mayors Serra Bucak and Dogan Hatun, [pro-Kurdish] DEM Party [Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party] parliamentarians, and her family,' adding that she was reburied in the city's Yanikoy Cemetery. A memorial program was also held in her honor. San, widely known as 'uncrowned queen' of Kurdish music, was born in 1938 in Diyarbakir and became a prominent cultural figure. Throughout her life, she lived in Diyarbakir, Istanbul, Baghdad, Germany, and Izmir. Due to a ban on the Kurdish language and the broader repression of Kurdish artists, which led her to move to Germany, Shan initially sang in Turkish on the radio. In 1963, facing financial hardship, she moved to Istanbul, where she began performing in both Kurdish and Turkish. She later released her first cassette in both languages. In 1979, she visited what is now Kurdistan Region, where she met several well-known Kurdish musicians, including Mohammed Arif Jaziri and Tahsin Taha. That same year, she performed under the name 'Ayse Sana Ali' on Kurdish Radio Baghdad, further strengthening her ties with the Kurdish music scene and expanding her audience across the region. Among her best-known songs are 'Ez Xezalim,' 'Qedere,' 'Dayke,' 'Le Le Be Mal,' and 'Lorke Lorke.' Her song 'Qedere' is a tribute to her 18-month-old daughter, who died in 1976.
Rudaw Net
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
DEM Party says Ankara-PKK peace process reached ‘important' stage
Also in Turkey Erdogan vows action against magazine over alleged religious insult Turkey's Erdogan grants amnesty to ill Kurdish prisoner DEM Party pushes for parliamentary commission to shape PKK peace process Erdogan says to meet with pro-Kurdish party soon A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) announced on Thursday that the ongoing peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have reached an 'important' stage. The party will kick off a new round of meetings with top Turkish officials and prominent politicians, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and is expected to visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan soon. DEM Party lawmakers, Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, on Thursday visited Numan Kurtulmus, speaker of the Turkish parliament. Buldan said it was a 'courtesy visit' to congratulate him for his recent re-election and 'we wanted to consult, discuss and talk about the stages reached regarding the peace process, and we exchanged views on where these stages stand.' She added that the 30-minute meeting took place in a 'positive framework.' Buldan, who has been one of the key members of a DEM Party delegation mediating talks between Ankara and the PKK and has held meetings with Ocalan, announced that they will meet with Kurtulmus again and visit other key figures such as President Erdogan, his ally and initiator of the nascent process Devlet Bahceli and Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition party. 'After these meetings, we will also conduct a visit to Mr. Ocalan at Imrali,' she noted, referring to the island where Ocalan has been jailed since 1999. 'I want to express that it has reached an important stage,' she stated. Ankara has labelled the process as 'terror-free Turkey.' It considers the PKK, which was established in 1978 with the stated aim of establishing autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, a terrorist organization. In a historic call made in late February, Ocalan urged his followers to dissolve the party and transition from armed struggle to a political path. Responding to his appeal, the PKK announced its dissolution and the end of its armed campaign in May. The PKK insists that the ball is now in Turkey's court and expects concrete steps from Ankara. However, Turkish officials have stated that they want to see tangible changes on the ground, including the PKK's disarmament and the dissolution of all its regional offshoots. Answering a question by Rudaw's Zinar Shino at the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan said he will soon meet with a delegation from the party. 'As their president, we have no problems whatsoever with our Kurdish citizens living in the region. Things are going very well right now. They have strong potential in parliament. Since they don't have such problems, they requested a meeting for this march, this process,' he said. Erdogan received a DEM Party delegation, consisting of lawmakers Sirri Surreya Onder and Buldan, on April 10, marking the first meeting between Erdogan and a pro-Kurdish party in a decade. Onder passed away in May. 'I believe they now have another meeting request. And we will fulfill this meeting request in the near future. We will hold our discussions with them,' Erdogan noted.
Rudaw Net
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region
Also in Kurdistan Sulaimani cousins missing three years after attempted asylum journey Low water levels halt power production at Dukan Dam Kurds are 'our brothers in arms': French consul general Kurdish opposition parties plan united front for federal election A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish soldier was killed in the Kurdistan Region on Saturday after stepping on a mine during an operation in northern Duhok province, the defense ministry announced. In a statement, the ministry said that Onder Ozen 'was injured as a result of stepping on a mine/IED during the search and sweep operations' and 'was immediately taken to the hospital, where despite all interventions, he could not be saved.' Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially struggled for an independent Kurdistan but now calls for increased political and cultural rights within Turkey. Ankara and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization. The incident occurred amid revived peace negotiations between both sides and the PKK's unilateral ceasefire, aimed at resolving more than four decades of conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives. In late February, Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) relayed a landmark message by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, in which he called on the PKK to disarm and disband. The PKK responded to Ocalan's message, expressing willingness to uphold his call and declaring a unilateral ceasefire with Turkey, while accusing Ankara of continuing attacks against its members. The group also requested a physical meeting with Ocalan as a precondition for the success of the peace process. As part of its outreach, the DEM Party has been meeting with leaders across the Kurdistan Region to build support for the peace initiative.
