Tensions Rise in Turkey's Kurdish Dialogue Process

 

Recent developments indicate growing problems in Turkey's new dialogue process aimed at resolving the decades-long Kurdish issue, according to a report by YetkinReport. The initiative, officially called the "Terrorist-Free Turkey" process, faces multiple challenges from various stakeholders despite President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa describing it as potentially "our greatest achievement."

A heated exchange between Presidential Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum and Democratic Equality Party (DEM) Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan highlights the tensions. Uçum criticized DEM's terminology, stating that referring to politically imprisoned individuals as "political prisoners" was inappropriate. "This ideological-political memorization and aggressive language towards positive law must be abandoned immediately," Uçum wrote on social media.

Bakırhan responded sharply during a local government meeting in Diyarbakır: "Can Turkey's century-old social peace be discussed with these small-minded people? What do they mean we shouldn't say 'political prisoner'? What should we say?" He continued, "We call things by their proper names. We call an 'advisor' an advisor. We call Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ political prisoners."

The dialogue process faces additional complications regarding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) disarmament. AK Party MKYK member Orhan Miroğlu strongly objected to AK Party Deputy Chairman Zafer Sarıkaya's statement that "a parliamentary commission cannot be established before the PKK lays down its weapons." Miroğlu countered, "The fundamental rights of millions of people cannot be tied to an organization laying down its weapons."

Further complicating matters, a leaked video showed PKK leader Murat Karayılan expressing reservations about the peace process during the organization's May 5-7 Dissolution Congress. While acknowledging PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan's authority, Karayılan claimed the "conjunctural situation in the Middle East and Kurdistan" was favorable for continuing armed struggle, suggesting they had potential supporters if they continued fighting.

The timing of this video leak coincided with increased diplomatic activity. Diplomatic efforts intensified following a May 14 meeting in Riyadh where President Erdoğa participated remotely with U.S., Saudi Arabian, and Syrian leaders. Turkish Intelligence Chief İbrahim Kalın met with Syrian leader Ahmed Şara in Damascus on May 19, and Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz attended a U.S.-Syria Working Group meeting in Washington the following day.

U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently appointed the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara as Special Representative for Syria, indicating a desire to manage Turkey-Syria-PKK issues through a single channel. Turkey's National Security Council, chaired by Erdoğan on May 22, emphasized that "every step in the process will be monitored," likely referring primarily to the disarmament process overseen by Turkish intelligence.

The situation in Iraq, where the PKK has maintained bases in the Kandil Mountains for nearly half a century, remains a critical but less prominent factor in the dialogue. The resolution of PKK bases, weapons depots, and leadership status will primarily play out on Iraqi territory, where Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani has so far taken cautious steps.

The PKK's reluctance to disarm presents a significant obstacle to the peace process. While the organization announced decisions to dissolve and end armed struggle at its May 5-7 Congress, there was notably no mention of disarmament. This ambiguity and internal disagreements within the PKK and government circles suggest that the path to resolution remains fraught with challenges despite the diplomatic momentum.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons