Turkey’s Kurds not yet convinced by peace process

Turkey’s Kurds remain skeptical of Ankara-PKK peace process

HAKKARI, Turkey Kurdistan,— The Kurdish community in Northern Kurdistan, the Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey, continues to question the durability of a peace process between the government in Ankara and the Kurdish PKK rebel group, despite recent symbolic moves toward disarmament.

In a ceremony held last Friday in Iraqi Kurdistan (Southern Kurdistan), members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) symbolically destroyed some of their weapons.

This act was a ceremonial gesture marking the beginning of a planned disarmament phase intended to help end decades of armed conflict with Turkey’s state forces.

Yet, in Hakkari—a Kurdish-majority city near the Iraqi Kurdistan border—local residents express little confidence that the decades-long violence will cease.

AFP reporters observed heightened Turkish police activity throughout the city, including undercover officers, which discouraged many from engaging with the media.

One local man who agreed to speak without being recorded said, “We don’t discuss these issues openly because tomorrow could bring punishment. Previous peace attempts have failed, so we remain cautious.”

Mehmet Duman, a 26-year-old restaurant employee, said he has witnessed discrimination against Kurds. “We have been segregated, beaten, just for being Kurdish.

We have seen all kinds of repression,” he said. “If the state wants to secure a peaceful future for all, it must stop these practices.”

Duman also called for concrete governmental actions to complement the symbolic gesture by the PKK of destroying weapons in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Saturday that Turkey had secured a victory following the PKK’s disarmament ceremony.

“Turkey has won. The entire nation of 86 million has won,” Erdogan stated, assuring the public that the government’s strategy is deliberate and necessary for the country’s future.

While Erdogan has engaged in peace talks with the PKK, his administration has simultaneously tightened control over opposition parties. The Republican People’s Party (CHP), the primary secular opposition group, has seen hundreds of its members arrested since the peace process began.

Among those detained is Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a top contender in the upcoming presidential elections, as well as other CHP mayors elected during local elections in March 2024. They face accusations of corruption, which they dispute.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), addresses his supporters Istanbul, January 31, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Political commentator Berk Esen highlighted that “Turkey has become more authoritarian since the peace process started,” adding that while disarmament could foster democratization, it appears unlikely under current conditions.

Opposition media have also faced increased pressure. The Sozcu news channel, critical of the government, was forced to halt broadcasts after repeated fines and suspensions. Sozcu’s director, Ozgur Cakmakci, said the sanctions have been issued “almost biweekly.”

Erol Onderoglu, representing Reporters Without Borders in Turkey, characterized the clampdown on media as part of “an authoritarian effort to silence opposition voices.”

In remarks made before an AKP party meeting on Saturday, Erdogan said, “We know what we’re doing. No one should be fearful or doubt our intentions. All actions are for Turkey’s independence and future.”

The PKK, founded in 1978 by students at Ankara University, took up arms in 1984 aiming to secure Kurdish autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur).

The conflict has caused over 40,000 deaths, including Kurdish fighters and Turkish military personnel, according to Turkey.

Turkey’s Kurdish population makes up about 30% of the country’s 85 million people but has long been denied official constitutional recognition.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)