The most challenging hurdle was Abdullah Öcalan—who founded the PKK nearly half a century ago—declaring that the organization has run its course and should lay down arms and dissolve itself. This critical threshold was crossed when the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM Party) delegation, visiting İmralı for the third time on February 27, clearly
The long-standing PKK issue in Türkiye has once again taken center stage with Abdullah Öcalan’s call for the organization’s dissolution and an end to armed struggle. At first glance, this statement may seem like a historic turning point. However, when considering its legal, security, and geopolitical dimensions, it becomes clear that the matter is far
On the evening of January 16, the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Foreign Relations office made a brief but significant post on their X account. The English message was succinct: “United we stand, divided we fall. President Masoud Barzani met with SDF Commander Mazlum Abdi in Erbil.” The announcement came immediately after the meeting. The post
The first tangible outcome of the “Öcalan Initiative” – which MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli initiated by shaking hands with DEM Party members at the Parliament’s opening on October 1 – materialized on December 28. With President Tayyip Erdoğan’s approval, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç granted permission for two DEM Party heavyweights, Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Kurdish-issue focused DEM Party continue to confound their adversaries – and I mean this in a positive sense. Kurdish affairs have entered a new phase, particularly following the regime change in Syria. The most recent example of this shift was witnessed in the Turkish Parliament on December 17. DEM
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Türkiye has begun working on plans to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees, following major developments in Damascus where opposition forces have taken control of the capital and President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly left the country. Speaking at the Doha Forum 2024 in Qatar, Fidan outlined Türkiye’s vision
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and key ally in Türkiye’s ruling coalition, has called on imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to “unilaterally declare the dissolution of his organization.” “Let the terrorist leader, who claimed he was ‘ready for any kind of service’ when brought to Türkiye, now step forward and unilaterally
On the same day that the Chief Legal Advisor to the Turkish Presidency, Mehmet Uçum, said “the state does not repeat a process that fails to yield results,” journalist Amberin Zaman, known for her deep Kurdish and American sources, made an intriguing claim on the Al-Monitor news site. According to her report, which she claims
When asked what would change for Türkiye if Donald Trump or Kamala Harris won the presidential elections in the US on November 5th, I can hear many of you saying “Nothing”. To understand, we need to look at which of today’s problems in Türkiye-US relations would be “normalized” – let’s not say solved – under
Türkiye and Iraq signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Combating Terrorism” on August 15. On the 40th anniversary of PKK militants launching an armed struggle against Türkiye with raids on Eruh and Şemdinli from Iraqi territory, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein signed this symbolically significant agreement. However, this agreement, which