Turkey and the PKK reached a ceasefire deal. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, the government of Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party reached a ceasefire deal a few days ago after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan — who established it in 1978 — called on the movement to lay down its arms and dissolve. This is a good step and has prospects for ending the conflicts in which tens of thousands of people have been killed and reaching peace. But it remains unclear whether there will be lasting peace between the parties and how much it will lead to peace between Turkey and the Kurdish people.
It is notable that reaching a ceasefire and peace deal to end four decades of conflicts between the parties in south-eastern Turkey that began with a rebellion against Turkish rule and initially aimed at an independent homeland for Kurds but later called for more autonomy and cultural and linguistic rights, rather than independence, has been always difficult due to various reasons. Continued attacks and counterattacks, geopolitical issues and other reasons were responsible. Notably, the PKK has been carrying out attacks on Turkey forces while Turkey’s army, which has troops deployed in northern Syria, has been almost regularly attacking areas controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces for several years. Under such a context, the latest ceasefire between the parties will help end conflicts.
Turkish attacks on the PKK targets in Qamishli, Syria in 2023 (Photo credit: https://edition.cnn.com/I).
But, even if the chance of peace has increased between the parties this time, there are various challenges ahead that may put hindrances. There is a difficulty in maintaining a ceasefire and the lack of trust between the parties that may put hindrances. In July 2015, a two-year ceasefire between Turkey’s government and the PKK — a Kurdish separatist group — collapsed after a suicide bombing by suspected self-proclaimed Islamic State militants. It is pertinently notable that about a decade ago, Ocalan made a similar call to his followers to lay down their arms. But the 2013 peace process quickly collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire.
But the positive side this time is that both the parties are interested in ending the conflicts, which not only impacted the warring parties but also several other parties in the region, at a time when the geopolitical situations have changed driven by the regime changes in Syria, which provided support to the PKK, and other reasons. Yet, making lasting peace can still be difficult between Turkey and Kurdish people driven by grievances, the presence of various armed groups and other reasons. Notably, there are limited steps to bring peace between Turkey and other Kurdish armed groups such as the People Protection Unit (YPG), which has agitated against the government and conducted numerous attacks.
Turkish troops patrol in Sirnak Province, near the Iraqi border, on June 21, 2020 (Photo credit: https://www.rferl.org/).
The emphasis needs to be given to the implementation of the ceasefire. For this, a strong commitment is vital from both parties. But addressing the concerns is also vital and will be helpful for ending conflicts between Turkey and the PKK — the group which the Turkish government views as a terrorist organization threatening national security. The Ocalan’s release will probably help implement the process including laying down arms. But reaching a peace deal will be helpful for reaching a lasting peace between the warring parties. The political process is also vital for the peace step to be successful in ending conflicts.
Pertinently saying, a lasting peace between Turkey and the PKK will help bring stability in Syria, where Kurdish forces have been operating for many years (though its activities have been reduced to a larger extent now) and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is also desired that complete peace be reached between Turkey and Kurdish people, who account for about 20 percent of Turkey’s 85 million people. For lasting peace, various grievances of the Kurdish people including the treatment of their cultural and political rights need to be addressed.
