Born in 1962 in Adıyaman to a Turkmen family, Önder’s life was shaped by contrasting influences—his father’s socialist roots with the Türkiye İşçi Partisi and his mother’s ties to the Nurcu movement. This duality informed his worldview, leading him to embrace socialism after exploring Islam, as he once reflected in an interview. His political journey began in his youth, marked by arrests during the 1978 Maraş Massacre protests and later during the 1980 military coup, enduring seven years of imprisonment and torture.
Önder’s multifaceted career spanned truck driving, filmmaking, and politics. His cinematic breakthrough came with Beynelmilel (2006), blending personal and societal narratives before he entered politics with the Barış ve Demokrasi Partisi in 2011 and co-founded the Halkların Demokratik Partisi (HDP). A key player in the 2013-2015 peace process, Önder relayed Abdullah Öcalan’s messages, including the historic “silence the guns” call at the 2013 Newroz, and read the Dolmabahçe Agreement in 2015, a pinnacle of the talks until their collapse.
Despite arrests, health struggles, and political repression, Önder never wavered. Even in his final days, he prioritized peace, famously stating, “This country needs peace; working for it is the best therapy.” His legacy as a fighter for equality, a storyteller, and a peacemaker endures in Turkey’s collective memory.