A significant ceasefire declaration this past Saturday has stirred varied emotions across southeast Turkey and northern Iraq. These areas have long borne the weight of the nearly four-decade-long conflict between Kurdish militants and the Turkish state. The ceasefire announcement made by Kurdish insurgents may provide a notable boost to the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, coming shortly after the group’s imprisoned leader pushed for disarmament.
In Diyarbakir, the heart of Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, skepticism prevails among those who have lost family members in support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Many remain cautious when it comes to trusting the Turkish government’s commitment to peace, as it has not yet formally responded to the announced ceasefire. “We do not trust them, they said the same things before, nothing has changed,” stated Turkan Duman, 56. Duman, who has borne immense personal loss due to the conflict, recalled a similar ceasefire over a decade ago that eventually fell through. Her son currently serves a lengthy prison term for involvement with the PKK after siding with Kurdish forces against ISIS near Kobani in late 2014. Additionally, she lost two brothers who died in clashes with security forces nearby.
Fellow member of the Peace Mothers’ Association, Kiymet Soresoglu, 55, shares Duman’s apprehensions. “Of course we want peace to be established. We are afraid because they make plans or (could) play a trick,” she commented, expressing the group’s wariness towards the government’s intentions. Like many others, Soresoglu has a family member serving time for association with the PKK, a group labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey and its allies. Reflecting on the dire sacrifices made, she stated, “There is not a single inch of land left in Kurdistan where the blood of martyrs has not been shed.”
Yet, despite their doubts, there remains a strong desire for peace. “But we want peace. Peace so that no more blood is shed, it is a sin,” Duman pleaded, emphasizing the hope shared among those who have experienced the profound costs of violence firsthand. Since the PKK commenced its armed conflict against Turkey in 1984, the toll has been astounding, with tens of thousands of lives lost. The International Crisis Group cites over 7,000 casualties since renewed hostilities in 2015.
The ceasefire comes soon after Abdullah Ocalan, the incarcerated PKK leader, encouraged the group to lay down arms. Vahap Coskun, an academic at Dicle University, noted that this suggests strong alignment within the PKK’s leadership despite Ocalan’s long imprisonment, signaling a potentially pivotal stance on disarmament. “A very high threshold has been crossed in terms of disarmament,” Coskun observed, predicting swift action from the PKK to move toward disbandment. “Unlike the last solution process, this solution process is being handled with utmost sensitivity regarding the use of time,” he added.
Across the border, in the mountains of Iraq, a cautious optimism greets the ceasefire news. In Sulaymaniyah, a key city in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region, there is tentative celebration at the prospect of enduring peace. Najmadin Bahaadin called it a “historical moment” distinct from past peace efforts, suggesting that perhaps this time, both parties are reaching shared convictions. However, doubts linger regarding Ocalan’s motivation, with residents like Awat Rashid questioning whether his peace proposal was influenced by external pressure. “To what extent you think this is reliable and it can be trusted?” Rashid pondered, encapsulating the skepticism faced by all involved in navigating this complex legacy of conflict.
