- PKK declares first ceasefire since 2015 collapse of peace talks
- Kurdish mothers share distrust of Ankara after losing 3+ family members
- Conflict death toll exceeds 7,000 since 2015 per International Crisis Group
- Northern Iraq's Kurds cautiously welcome potential disarmament timeline
For Turkan Duman, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s ceasefire announcement reopens wounds from a decade-old betrayal. Her son remains imprisoned for joining Kurdish forces against ISIS in 2014 – a decision that followed Turkey’s earlier failed peace initiative. Twelve years of empty promises taught us to measure hope in spilled blood, not speeches,says the 56-year-old, whose brothers died fighting Turkish forces near PKK’s birthplace.
The current disarmament push follows imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s unprecedented call to dissolve militant structures. Diyarbakir University’s Vahap Coskun notes the strategic timing: This isn’t 2015’s temporary truce. Both sides recognize the geopolitical cost of prolonged conflict.Regional analysts suggest renewed EU accession talks and Syria’s stabilized borders have created rare alignment between Ankara’s security needs and Kurdish political aspirations.
Economic realities add urgency. Turkey’s southeastern provinces, predominantly Kurdish, face 18% unemployment – double the national average. Infrastructure projects like the Mardin-Ceyhan oil pipeline stalled during recent clashes. Peace could unlock $2.3 billion in annual cross-border trade,estimates Sulaymaniyah economist Najmadin Bahaadin, referencing potential Kurdish region partnerships.
In northern Iraq’s Qandil mountains, PKK fighters await concrete guarantees. Local supporter Awat Rashid voices widespread concern: Will Erdogan offer amnesty? Recognize Kurdish language rights? Until we see action, this is just another tactical pause.The group’s leadership faces internal pressure following Öcalan’s disputed communique, allegedly drafted under Turkish supervision.
International observers highlight three critical factors for success: phased prisoner releases, demilitarized zones along the Iraqi border, and third-party monitoring. Turkey’s 2023 election cycle complicates negotiations,warns Brussels-based mediator Lars Visser. Both sides need visible wins before campaign rhetoric hardens positions.
As night falls on Diyarbakir’s Sur district – still scarred from 2015’s urban warfare – Kiymet Soresoglu tends her son’s grave. Peace requires more than buried weapons,she says, tracing mortar marks on ancient city walls. It needs truth about our disappeared, justice for our children.The coming months will test whether decades of bloodshed can give way to coexistence.
