Latest news with #Turkish-Kurdish
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
The future of Turkey's Kurds
Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party have been laying down their arms in ceremonies conducted within the framework of Turkish-Kurdish peace negotiations On 11 July, a group of 30 fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) – half of them women – placed their weapons in a large cauldron in front of the historic Jasana cave in northern Iraq and set them alight. The symbolic disarmament ceremony – described as historic – was conducted in the framework of the ongoing Kurdish-Turkish peace negotiations that are being conducted beneath the slogan 'a terror-free Turkey.' The ceremony came in response to a video message aired two days earlier from PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to his followers. 'I believe in the power of politics and societal peace, not weapons, and I call on you to put this principle into practice,' he said. The iconic PKK leader has been held in near solitary confinement in the Imralı Prison near Istanbul since 1999. This was his first publicised video message in 26 years. It follows an earlier written message in February calling on all PKK groups to lay down their arms. 'The PKK must dissolve itself,' it read. 'Convene your congress and take the decision to integrate with the state and society.' The PKK members' symbolic gesture received a very positive response from Ankara. 'Today marks a new day, a new chapter in history. The doors to a great, strong Turkey— Century of Turkey — have been fully opened,' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on 12 July. Describing the disarmament ceremony as a victory for Turkey's 86 million citizens, Turks, Kurds and Arabs, he said, 'the Republic of Turkey is our shared home, our common roof. All 86 million of us are one, united, and brothers for eternity.' Urging the public to have confidence in the government that is working to secure a better future, he said that 'we will facilitate the process with care and urgency, without harming anyone, and closely monitor the laying down of weapons.' The PKK has been under increasing pressure to disarm. Its leader's decisions followed by its members' historic gesture of good faith cannot be viewed separately from developments in Syria following the overthrow of the Bashar Al-Assad regime in December 2024. Soon afterwards, Turkey succeeded in bringing Syria's neighbouring states together in a high-level meeting hosted by Jordan in March to forge a regional anti-terrorism coalition, primarily aiming to combat the Islamic State (IS) group and the PKK, which Turkey has designated as a terrorist organisation. Analysts believe that the PKK has come to recognise that the militant option will yield at best limited results, especially in view of regional and international developments. Part of the group's networks in Syria and Iraq have collapsed under sustained Turkish military pressure. In Syria, the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have experienced internal rifts. To the east, the PKK sustained setbacks as a consequence of the Israeli attack against Iran. Prior to this, Israel and its Western backers succeeded in neutralising segments of Iran's regional proxies, thereby reducing Tehran's support for the PKK. Another likely factor informing the PKK decision to disarm is the shift in US policy towards Syria. On 30 June, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting sanctions on Syria. Prior to this, on 5 June, the US withdrew over 500 troops from three bases in northeastern Syria, and on 17 June it withdrew forces from two additional bases in that area. The moves suggest that the Trump administration is accelerating the reduction of the US military presence in Syria and by extension US support for the SDF, which, according to some analysts, is a source of concern for the PKK. At the same time, the Trump administration is keen to support the new Syrian leadership and has echoed Interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa's calls for national unity. Meanwhile, since the opening of the parliamentary season last autumn, when Erdogan's far-right ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli walked over to shake hands with the leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, Ankara has increasingly leaned into a major shift in its policy towards the Kurdish rights movement. In April, Erdogan met with a delegation from the DEM to discuss prospects for reviving the Turkish-Kurdish peace process that he had abandoned in 2015. More recently, on 24 June, Bahçeli called on all Turkish parties to support a new peace initiative that promised to make Turkey free of terrorism. The MHP and Bahçeli personally had long been fervent opponents of dialogue with the PKK. Turkey's current approach to the PKK is shaped by three key factors. The first is Erdogan's determination to secure support for a new constitution, which is currently being drafted. Secondly, he is desperate to contain the growing influence of the opposition parties, above all the People's Republican Party (CHP), which has been gaining remarkably in the polls. The third is the need to counter the Israeli threat. Tel Aviv's invective against Turkey has become increasingly strident, most recently in response to Ankara's defence of Iran's right to complete its nuclear programme. Bahçeli, perhaps reflecting the concerns of the Turkish leadership in general regarding Israeli behaviour in the region, warned that Turkey might be Israel's next target after Iran. Despite the hopes raised by the PKK arms-burning ceremony and its reception in Ankara, the road to peace and the PKK's integration into Turkish political life is unlikely to be smooth. One of the foremost obstacles is Turkish scepticism and mistrust. According to some Turkish assessments, the PKK still owns hidden arsenals of weapons. Ankara also fears that the PKK fighters in Iraq might merge with Iranian-backed militias. The mistrust is also mutual. In the long run, PKK leaders worry that their fighters will not obtain the necessary legal protections from potential witch hunts after an agreement. Turkey has never articulated a concrete vision for resolving the conflict politically and in terms of legal guarantees. In addition, the PKK is concerned by the threat of continued Turkish military operations despite ongoing negotiations. In recent months, Turkey has launched frequent strikes against PKK strongholds in Iraqi Kurdistan, claiming dozens of casualties. If, to the PKK leadership, this betrays a lack of good faith, the Turkish leadership argues that a two-pronged approach – military operations in tandem with dialogue – is needed to push effectively for a peaceful solution. Perhaps it has the PKK's more hardline nationalist wing in mind. The 'Qandil faction,' as it is called, has previously opposed unilateral disarmament and organisational dismantlement. This faction still subscribes to armed struggle as the most effective means to secure Kurdish rights in the face of what it regards the systemic Turkish antagonism to and marginalisation of the country's large Kurdish minority. It also argues that this struggle has helped focus international attention on the question of Kurdish national, political, and cultural rights. Ankara may be calculating that the military dimension of its two-pronged approach will drive a wedge between this faction and the Ocalan faction, weakening the negotiating hand of the latter. Be that as it may, any peace process will have to navigate through obstacles posed by the hardline factions on both sides, whether the Kurdish militants or the far right Turkish ethnonationalists. But perhaps more crucially, to move forward a peace process needs clarity in the form of a concrete vision or roadmap – and this, so far, remains lacking. * A version of this article appears in print in the 17 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'An irreversible turning point': Turkey seeks to close chapter on Kurdish movement as PKK disarms
As Kurdish armed group PKK started disarmament today as part of its dissolution, Turkey claimed it as a 'milestone' and an 'irreversible turning point' in the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. read more Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo As the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) laid down arms in a ceremony on Friday, Turkey sought to close the chapter on the Kurdish movement and declared the moment as a 'milestone' and an 'irreversible turning point' in the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. In line with the previous announcement to disarm, Kurdish group PKK destroyed their first batch of weapons at a ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan on Friday. Earlier this year, Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed PKK leader, announced that the group would disarm, dissolve, and give up the armed movement for a political struggle. Since the foundation in 1984, the PKK had waged an insurgency against the Turkish rule for the rights of Kurds who form around 20 per cent of Turkey's population. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ahead of the PKK's first round of disarmament, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said over the weekend that the Turkish-Kurdish reconciliation 'will gain a little more speed when the terrorist organisation starts to implement its decision to lay down arms' — Turkey has designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation. 'We hope this auspicious process will end successfully as soon as possible, without mishaps or sabotage attempts,' Erdogan further said on Wednesday. The 'historic' disarmament ceremony In a ceremony in the Casene cave in northern Iraq, around 30 Kurdish militants burnt their weapons, according to an AFP correspondent. 'Thirty PKK fighters, four of whom were commanders, burned their weapons,' the correspondent said, who was present at the cave near the city of Sulaimaniyah, in the Iraq's Kurdistan province. Kurds are an ethnic people with large populations in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. They do not have any nation of their own. The Casene cave has been symbolically associated with Kurds, according to AFP. The news agency further said that the cave once housed a Kurdish printing press. The PKK's disarmament has come after monthslong indirect negotiations between PKK leader Ocalan and Erdogan's government. The AFP reported that talks were mediated by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party and were approved by Erdogan. The disarmament was 'a historic, democratic move', PKK members burning their weapons said, adding they hoped that it would 'bring about peace and freedom', according to AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Analysts have said that the disarmament at own accord was a face-saving move owing to the military weakening of the PKK over the years. A senior Turkish official told the news agency, 'The laying down of arms by PKK militants in Sulaimaniyah —a milestone of the third stage of the ongoing disarmament and decommissioning process— marks a concrete and welcome step. We view this development as an irreversible turning point.'
France 24
19-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
After PKK's landmark disarmament, Ocala urges 'major shift' to mend Turkey ties
A "major" shift is needed to repair broken ties between the Turkish state and the country's Kurdish minority following the historic decision of the Kurdistan Workers Party to disarm, its jailed founder said Sunday. The message from Abdullah Ocalan was transmitted through a delegation of the pro-Kurdish DEM party who visited the Imrali prison island near Istanbul where Ocalan has been serving life in solitary confinement since 1999. It was their first visit since the May 12 disarmament announcement, which sought to draw a line under conflict that began in 1984 when the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) took up arms. More than 40,000 people have died since. "What we are doing involves a major paradigm shift," wrote the 76-year-old former guerrilla. "The Turkish-Kurdish relationship is like a brotherly relationship that is broken. Brothers and sisters fight, but they can't exist without each other," he said, calling for "a new agreement based on the concept of brotherhood". 41:43 "We must clear away, one-by-one, all the traps and minefields that spoil this relationship, we must repair the broken roads and bridges." Only DEM lawmaker Pervin Buldan visited Ocalan this time, with lawyer Ozgur Erol, following the recent death of veteran Turkish peacemaker Sirri Sureyya Onder. Onder, who was Turkey 's deputy parliamentary speaker, died on May 3, after suffering a cardiac arrest and just days before the PKK's historic decision. He had spent years trying to end the conflict with Turkey's Kurdish minority in efforts that earned respect from across the political spectrum. Since December, he had been part of a delegation that visited Ocalan several times, shuttling messages between him and Turkey's political establishment and paving the way for the PKK move. "I had a hankering to speak to Sirri Sureyya Onder one last time," Ocalan wrote, describing him as "a wise person for Turkey" and saying he left behind "a cherished memory that we need to keep alive". The government has said it will carefully monitor the disarmament process and in turn, observers expect the government to show a new openness to the Kurds who make up about 20 percent of the 85 million population. Ocalan is unlikely to be freed, as his life would likely come under threat, but the conditions of his imprisonment are likely to be "eased", officials say.
Saba Yemen
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announces its same dissolution, end of its conflict with Turkey
Istanbul - (Saba): The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced this morning, Monday, its dissolution and the end of its armed conflict with Turkey, based on the decisions of the conference it held a few days ago. The Firat News Agency, which is close to the party, stated that it had accomplished what it described as its historic mission, noting that the party "believes that Kurdish political parties will assume their responsibilities to develop Kurdish democracy and ensure the formation of a democratic Kurdish nation." At the same time, the agency quoted the party as stressing that Turkish-Kurdish relations need to be reshaped, without revealing further details. These developments come after Firat News Agency reported on Friday that the party had "successfully" held a conference to dissolve itself this week. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Shafaq News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye hails PKK dissolution as historic step toward national unity
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Turkiye welcomed the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) decision to dissolve itself and end its decades-long armed campaign. Omer Celik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, said the PKK's dissolution—announced following a call by imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan—marks 'an important step toward the goal of a terror-free Turkiye.' 'The decision of the PKK to dissolve itself and lay down its arms following the call from Imrali is an important step,' Celik said, referring to Ocalan's detention on Imrali Island. 'If fully implemented—through the dismantling of all PKK branches and illegal structures—it will represent a turning point.' Celik emphasized that Turkish state institutions will closely monitor the implementation process on the ground, with all developments reported directly to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He underscored that the process is being guided by a comprehensive state strategy, reflecting Erdogan's 'long-standing commitment' to internal security and national cohesion. He also credited the 'historic call' and support of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, whose alliance with the AK Party has reinforced Turkiye's domestic political front. 'This process is about much more than ending armed activity—it is about restoring the primacy of democratic politics as the legitimate framework for addressing differences,' Celik noted. He said that productive dialogue among political institutions has enabled Turkiye to move beyond armed conflict toward a future rooted in citizenship and constitutional values. Celik also warned against complacency, stressing that the decision must be implemented 'in all its aspects, both internally and externally.' He argued that full and concrete action is necessary to block foreign efforts to destabilize the region through proxy militias. 'A truly terror-free Turkiye will empower democratic institutions, strengthen national unity, and allow all political actors to operate more freely and effectively,' he said, adding that the Parliament and broader political system will benefit from the removal of threats posed by terrorism. Sayın Cumhurbaşkanımızın 'terörsüz Türkiye' için ortaya koyduğu yüksek siyasi iradesi ve sürecin koordinatlarını 'devlet politikası' olarak çizen kapsayıcı ve net yaklaşımı ile Sayın Devlet Bahçeli'nin tarihi çağrısı, gelişmelere dönük duruşu ve yönlendirmeleri, topyekun 'iç… — Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) May 12, 2025 The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, announced its dissolution earlier Monday through the Firat News Agency. The group described the move as the conclusion of its 'historical mission' and called for a redefinition of Turkish-Kurdish relations through political means. The development follows a February appeal by Ocalan, who urged all affiliated armed groups to disband and shift focus to political engagement.
