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Gulf Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Kurdish PKK disbands and ends 40-year Turkey insurgency
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has been locked in bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades, decided to disband and end its armed struggle, a news agency close to the group reported on Monday. The PKK's decision could boost NATO member Turkey's political and economic stability and encourage moves to ease tensions in neighbouring Iraq and also in Syria, where Kurdish forces are allied with US forces. Since the PKK launched its insurgency in 1984, the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, exerted a huge economic burden and fuelled social tensions. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. "The PKK 12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure... and end the armed struggle," the Firat news agency reported it as saying in the closing declaration of a congress held last week in northern Iraq, where the group is based. The PKK held the congress in response to a February call to disband from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999. It said on Monday that he would manage the process. However, it was not clear whether Ankara agreed to Ocalan's continued role, which polls suggest could be unpopular among Turks. Nor were details available on how the disarmament and breakup of the PKK would happen in practice. A person holds a flag with an image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a gathering to celebrate the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, on March 23, 2025. Reuters It also remained to be seen how the process would affect the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, if at all. YPG leads a US-allied force against Daesh there and is regarded by Turkey as a PKK affiliate. YPG has previously said Ocalan's call did not apply to it. "The PKK has completed its historic mission," the PKK statement said. "The PKK struggle has broken the policy of denial and annihilation of our people and brought the Kurdish issue to a point of solving it through democratic politics." Boosting development The PKK's decision will give President Tayyip Erdogan the opportunity to boost development in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, where the insurgency has impaired the regional economy for decades. A deputy leader of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, the third largest in Turkey's parliament and which played a key role in facilitating Ocalan's peace call, told Reuters the PKK decision was significant not just for Kurdish people but for the Middle East as a whole. "It will also necessitate a major shift in the official state mentality of Turkey," DEM's Tayip Temel said. The announcement was welcome in the southeast's largest city Diyarbakir, where distrust of the government among many Kurds had eroded hopes that the peace process would be successful. "It is really important that people do not die anymore, that the Kurdish problem is solved in a more democratic structure," said Hasan Huseyin Ceylan, 45, describing the PKK move as very important for both Kurdish and Turkish people. Important step Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan's ruling AK Party, said the decision to dissolve was "an important step toward a terror-free Turkey". Turkey's foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the announcement, which Ankara had been expecting. The lira was mostly flat at 38.765 against the dollar while the main share index rose 3%. There have been intermittent peace efforts over the years, most notably a ceasefire between 2013 and 2015 that ultimately collapsed. Reuters
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kurdish PKK congress took 'historic decisions' after jailed leader urged disarmament, agency says
FILE PHOTO: A person holds a flag with an image of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a gathering to celebrate the spring festival of Newroz in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Tolga Uluturk/File Photo The militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) made "historic decisions" at a congress this week after a call from its jailed leader to dissolve, a linked news agency said on Friday - a potentially key step in resolving a long conflict with Turkey. The Firat news agency reported the PKK as saying it held its congress on May 5-7 in northern Iraq, where the outlawed group is now based. But the PKK statement it published did not say whether the insurgents had decided to disband or disarm. Any PKK decision to formally disarm and dissolve, which is not guaranteed, would have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region, including in neighbouring Syria where Kurdish forces are allied with U.S. forces. It would also give President Tayyip Erdogan a historic opportunity to develop mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, where violence has killed thousands and hamstrung the regional economy in 40 years of conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state. "The PKK 12th Congress made decisions of historic importance regarding PKK activities based on the call of Leader Apo," the PKK was cited by Firat as saying, referring to PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan who has been imprisoned in Turkey for 26 years. More detailed information would be shared with the public "very soon," it said. Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence, issued a statement on Feb. 27 calling for the PKK to disarm and disband. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. There have been intermittent peace efforts over the years, most notably a ceasefire between 2013 and 2015 that ultimately collapsed. 'WEAPONS TO DIALOGUE' The PKK declared a ceasefire in March following the disarmament appeal by Ocalan, and its congress announcement had been expected by the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, the third largest in Turkey's parliament. "We are all awaiting this historic decision with great seriousness and importance," DEM Party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan told reporters after a party board meeting. "This historic opportunity must be made permanent. Weapons must give way to dialogue," she said, adding that the DEM hoped for mutual steps toward lasting peace, with political and legal groundwork essential. DEM has played a key role facilitating Ocalan's public call to his PKK, including visits to his island prison near Istanbul, and has since held talks with Erdogan and other government officials seeking to propel the potential peace process. The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, mainly focused in the country's southeast. Earlier this week, Erdogan's AK Party spokesperson Omer Celik said the elimination of tensions through the PKK's dissolution and disarmament would strengthen Turkish democracy. "Every concrete step taken toward ending terrorism, dissolving itself and laying down arms by the terrorist organisation will bring new positive responses and steps. "It is extremely important for the terrorist organisation to announce its decision to dissolve and lay down arms as soon as possible," Celik added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Increasing Number of Issues with Foreign Residents Tests Coexistence in Municipalities; Challenges Include Problematic Behavior
The Yomiuri Shimbun Kurds and others dance during the spring festival Newroz in late March in Saitama. SAITAMA/MITO — Some municipalities are grappling with the increasing challenges of residents coexisting amid rapidly growing foreign populations, facing issues such as problematic behavior and rising unpaid medical bills. The situation places a significant burden on local municipalities, underscoring the need for comprehensive measures from the central government. In Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, which has a large community of Kurdish people, for example, the local government is facing an increased burden on schools accepting Kurdish children, in addition to dealing with complaints about noise and driving manners. Kurdish community The celebration of Newroz, the Kurdish spring festival, at the end of March saw about 1,000 people, including Kurds in colorful traditional dress and Japanese citizens, dancing happily in a park in Saitama to the tunes of the saz, a Kurdish stringed instrument. However, a scuffle broke out near the venue between opponents and supporters of the festival, and police officers had to intervene. About 2,000 Kurds live in the vicinity of Kawaguchi, which is near the event venue. The Kurdish people are known as the 'largest ethnic group without a state' and inhabit the border areas of countries such as Turkey. Kurds began settling in Kawaguchi in the 1990s following unrest in Turkey. Strong ethnic solidarity fostered a pattern of family and friends joining earlier arrivals, and the population further increased after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. In June of that year, the Kawaguchi city council adopted a written opinion calling for stricter measures against crime, asserting that 'reckless driving and road rage by foreigners are repeatedly occurring and cannot be ignored.' A city council member later said the statement was adopted 'with Kurds in mind.' Then, in the following month, a stabbing incident occurred due to a conflict between Kurdish individuals. The hospital where the injured person was transported became the scene of a disturbance because about 100 people, thought to be their acquaintances, gathered there. The incident triggered a flood of negative comments on social media, including statements like, [They are] a nuisance' and '[They are] scary.' The issue gained attention in the Diet when a local representative, speaking at the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting in December last year, stated that 'group acts, incidents and accidents that are a nuisance and involving Kurds are occurring frequently.' Patrolling by Kurds In an effort to improve the situation, the Japan Kurdish Cultural Association, made up of Kurdish people living in Japan, began conducting safety patrols around the summer of 2023 to draw their fellow Kurds' attention not to cause trouble to local communities. Admitting there were some shortcomings also on their part, Vakkas Cikan, the association's leader, vowed to make efforts to fix the problems in order to build a good relationship with local people. The Kawaguchi city government has set up consultation services for foreign residents. Also, local schools provide Japanese language lessons for children who have difficulty communicating in Japanese. One issue complicating the situation is that many of the Kurdish residents are on provisional release — a status that permits a person to live outside an immigration detention center while their application for refugee status is being processed. People on provisional release are prohibited from working and cannot obtain health insurance. About 30% of the ¥360 million in total uncollected medical bills at Kawaguchi Municipal Medical Center has been incurred by foreign nationals. The city government has submitted requests to the central government several times since 2020, asking for expanded educational support for foreign children and allowing those on provisional release to work and enroll in the health insurance system. 'Even though they are on provisional release, we are responding to their needs for education and medical care based on humanitarian considerations,' said Kawaguchi Mayor Nobuo Okunoki. 'However, the burden on a single local government is too heavy. We urge the central government to take proper action.' Violation of rules and isolation As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, other local governments are also being forced to respond to problems in areas such as daily life and the education of children. Of the about 60,000 residents in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, foreigners from nearly 50 countries account for approximately 10% of the population, many of whom work at factories in the city. There are claims that some foreigners do not adhere to garbage disposal rules and students who do not speak Japanese are isolated at schools, highlighting the need to secure personnel who speak Vietnamese and Indonesian. Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, where many Brazilians of Japanese descent have lived since 1990s, has recently seen the number of foreigners, including Nepalis, increasing. The schools have Japanese language assistants who speak Portuguese, but they are not able to handle the situation. The town said, 'We need to increase the number of assistants who speak English.' 'Amid the declining birth rate and aging population, foreigners are important for each region,' said Prof. Eriko Suzuki of Kokushikan University, who specializes in migration policy. 'The central government should not leave the responsibility of supporting foreigners solely to local governments. It needs to support their policies for foreigners through the development of a public system for learning Japanese and having user-friendly administrative services.'
Shafaq News
25-04-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Klash legacy: One man's fight to keep Kurdish tradition alive
Shafaq News/ In the narrow lanes of Halabja's old bazaar, the scent of raw fabric and natural leather rises above the din of nearby spice stalls. There, seated cross-legged beside a pile of cotton and tools, 60-year-old Nawar gently threads a needle into the base of a nearly finished pair of traditional Kurdish shoes known as Klash. "Even if I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't leave this place," he told Shafaq News, with his eyes glinting with pride as he worked. For Nawar, shoemaking is more than a trade; it's an inheritance. Made of cotton fabric and animal hide, Klash shoes are lightweight, breathable, and environmentally friendly. The shoes are entirely handmade, taking up to a week to produce. Despite the rise of modern footwear, Klash continues to hold ceremonial and cultural significance, Nawar said, noting that young Kurds don the shoes during national holidays like Newroz and Flag Day. A single pair of Klash typically sells for between 40,000 and 120,000 Iraqi dinars (roughly $30–$90), depending on the quality of fabric, stitching, and custom design. More elaborate pairs, often ordered by Kurds abroad or gifted during festivals, can fetch up to 300,000 dinars ($210). While the price reflects the labor-intensive craftsmanship, many local artisans say it barely offsets the time and materials invested. The industry faces other challenges: limited government support, labor shortages, and shifting consumer habits. Yet artisans continue to resist disappearance through small-scale training workshops aimed at preserving knowledge among younger generations. Dozens of family-run Klash workshops in Halabja have dwindled to fewer than ten, as imported alternatives, particularly from Iran, undercut local shoemakers with lower prices, flooding the market and eroding demand. "These factory shoes have no soul. This—" he gestures to the shoe in his hand, "—this carries history," Nawar stated. In 2017, UNESCO recognized Klash shoemaking as part of Iraq's Intangible Cultural Heritage. Still, for Nawar and others like him, the true recognition lies in the quiet moments: a stitch pulled tight, a customer who waits weeks for a custom order, and the knowledge that every pair carries a story. 'One of my customers in Europe asked for a pair just to remember the scent of his old home,' Nawar recalled with a soft smile. 'This is not just a shoe. It's memory stitched into fabric.'
Iraqi News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Iraqi News
Newroz vs Zakho Iraqi Stars League match postponed due to fan riots
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Stars League Round 29 fixture between Newroz and Zakho on Tuesday evening (April 22nd, 2025) was officially postponed by match officials following significant crowd trouble and a pitch invasion at the packed Newroz Stadium. The match was level at 0-0 heading into the final stages. Trouble reportedly erupted around the 82nd minute after Zakho substitute Gustavo Henrique appeared to score, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. Despite the referee's decision, fighting broke out between supporter groups, chairs were allegedly ripped out, and numerous home fans invaded the pitch. According to reports, stadium security struggled to contain the situation amidst severe clashes between fans. After a lengthy stoppage, during which water sprinklers were reportedly used to clear the pitch, the refereeing crew made the decision to postpone the match indefinitely due to the inability to guarantee safety and order. 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 أحداث شغب مؤسفة في مباراة زاخو ضد نوروز في الدوري العراقي، الجمهور يقتحم الملعب! 😱 — نواف الاسيوي 🇸🇦 (@football_li5) April 22, 2025 The score remained 0-0 at the time of abandonment. The Iraqi Football Association is expected to announce a rescheduled date and any potential disciplinary actions following the incidents.
