Latest news with #Onder
L'Orient-Le Jour
09-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Kurdish PKK says held 'successful' meeting on disbanding
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) held a "successful" meeting this week with a view to disarming and disbanding, a Kurdish news agency close to the armed movement said on Friday. The meeting resulted in "decisions of historic importance concerning the PKK's activities, based on the call" of founder Abdullah Ocalan, who in February urged the movement to dissolve, the ANF agency said. The congress, which was held between Monday and Wednesday, took place in the "Media Defense Zones" – a term used by the movement to designate the Kandil mountains of northern Iraq where the PKK military command is located, the agency reported. The PKK did not explicitly say it was dissolving but added that it would share "full and detailed information with regard to the outcome of this congress very soon," it said. On Feb. 27, Ocalan urged his fighters to disarm and disband, ending a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. In his historic call – in a letter read out by pro-Kurdish delegates at a news conference in Istanbul – Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress to formalize the decision. Days later, the PKK's leadership accepted Ocalan's call, declaring a cease-fire. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned there will be harsh consequences "if the promises are not kept" or the militants delay disarming. 'Historic' step to peace The pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy party (DEM), the third largest party in Turkey's parliament, hailed the news in a statement on Friday. "With the PKK's historic congress decisions, we are one step closer to the horizon of peace after fifty years of conflict," it said. "This is a step towards the re-emergence and development of peace and democratic politics that have been longed for, for centuries, in the heart of our ancient lands." DEM's spokesperson Aysegul Dogan had told a news conference before the announcement of the congress: "We are ready to fulfill all our responsibilities with courage, devotion and determination for a Turkey where we can all breathe together, where an equal, fair and permanent peace is achieved and where our vision of a democratic society is realized." A DEM delegation held talks with Ocalan in his prison island off Istanbul, as well as with Turkish political parties and contacts in Iraq. Turkish media reported that the PKK delayed the announcement of the congress because DEM delegation member Sirri Sureyya Onder died on Saturday, aged 62. Onder was a veteran politician who won respect across Turkey's political spectrum for his efforts to end years of Kurdish conflict. "It is highly probable that the PKK has already gathered its congress and delayed the announcement because of Onder's death," a DEM source told AFP. "This also fits the calendar previously announced" by nationalist MHP party leader Devlet Bahceli, a strong ally of Erdogan and a key figure in efforts to resume talks, the source added. Bahceli had proposed the PKK meet in Malazgirt near Lake Van in Turkey's far east on May 4.
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Pro-Kurdish MP and Key Peace Negotiator Onder Dies at 62
Sirri Sureyya Onder, a prominent pro-Kurdish party lawmaker and key figure in Türkiye's tentative process to end the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) insurgency, died on Saturday at age 62, his party said. Onder, the deputy parliament speaker, was among MPs from the DEM Party who recently met jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and held talks last week with President Tayyip Erdogan in a bid to end a decades-old conflict that has killed tens of thousands. He was taken to hospital around two weeks ago after suffering a heart attack and aortic rupture, according to the hospital where he was being treated in Istanbul. After his heartbeat recovered, he underwent some 12 hours of surgery. Onder then spent 18 days in intensive care but died due to multiple organ failure on Saturday, the Istanbul hospital said. Known for his wit, poetry, and warm public presence, Onder was also an accomplished director and screenwriter of works that blended political storytelling with social critique. He was active in the negotiating process that led to the PKK declaring a unilateral ceasefire in March. A decade beforehand, he also played a central intermediary role in talks between Erdogan's government and the PKK. Onder was jailed in 2018 over a speech deemed to be "terrorist propaganda" and later stood trial in the Kobani protests case, facing life imprisonment, but was not jailed due to parliamentary impunity. He also served time in jail in the 1980s following a military coup.
Rudaw Net
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish leaders praise peace efforts of Sirri Sureyya Onder who died Saturday
Also in Turkey Key member of Ankara-PKK peace talks team passes away Turkey's Gabar oil field production nears $2 billion: Erdogan PKK says expects Ocalan to lead party congress DEM Party urges Turkish justice minister to ease Ocalan isolation A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region leaders offered their condolences following the death of politician Sirri Sureyya Onder, who played a pivotal role in peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 'The late Onder, both as deputy speaker of the Turkish Parliament and as a member of the Imrali delegation, through his role, efforts, and struggle for the success of the peace process in Turkey, with his dedicated thoughts, actions, and work for peace, brotherhood, and peaceful coexistence, demonstrated a supreme example of peace-seeking and humanitarianism that was respected and appreciated by all,' Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement on Saturday. Onder, 62, was a member of the Turkish parliament on the ticket of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). He was part of the Imrali delegation that visited jailed PKK leader in his Imrali island prison and is mediating peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish state. His death comes at a pivotal moment in the negotiations. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also expressed his deep condolences, stating, 'Onder was a longtime friend of the Kurdish people and a well-known activist in the peace process in Turkey. He played an active and unforgettable role in strengthening brotherhood and harmony between both the Kurdish and Turkish peoples.' Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani extended his condolences to Onder's family, colleagues, and supporters, including the DEM Party, and said he shares in their grief. Onder died of multiple organ failure. His death was announced on Saturday by the hospital where he was receiving treatment after suffering a heart attack. Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani expressed deep sorrow over Onder's passing and recalled meeting with him recently. 'Two months ago, with a heart full of hope and a face brimming with optimism, he looked toward the peace process and the future of the Kurdish people in Turkey and the region. Unfortunately, death did not give that hopeful heart enough time to see with his own eyes the bright future of coexistence for which he had struggled his entire life,' Talabani said. Onder was born to a Turkmen family on July 7, 1962 in Adiyaman province. He served as a member of parliament as part of several pro-Kurdish parties. He spent time in jail after the 1980 coup. He was jailed again in 2018 after he was convicted of propaganda for a terrorist organization alongside Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, but was released the following year after a court ruled his right to freedom of expression had been violated.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Veteran Turkish pro-Kurd MP Sirri Sureyya Onder dies
Sirri Sureyya Onder, a veteran politician who won respect across Turkey's political spectrum for his efforts to end years of conflict with the country's Kurdish ethnic minority, has died aged 62, an Istanbul hospital said on Saturday. A lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM party who served as parliament's deputy speaker, Onder died two and a half weeks after undergoing heart surgery following a cardiac arrest on April 15. The episode left him in critical condition, prompting an outpouring of concern including from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accuses DEM of ties to the banned Kurdish militant group PKK. Erdogan had called Onder's daughter to say he was "closely" monitoring her father's health, and on Saturday expressed his "sadness" at the news of his death. "I sincerely believe that we will reach the goal of a Turkey without terrorism which the mourned Onder had worked for so much in recent times," the Turkish president said. Born in 1962 into a Turkish socialist family in Adiyaman, in the Kurdish-majority southeast, Onder grew up immersed in both cultures, and went on to play a key role in helping to facilitate peace talks that began in 2013. "His temperament and career path made him a real expert in talking with everyone," Ertugrul Kurkcu, former head of the now-defunct HDP party, DEM's predecessor, told AFP. His role as a peacemaker came to the fore in recent months when he travelled three times to Imrali island to meet Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as part of a small DEM delegation. The aim was to advance a fresh dialogue bid initiated by Ankara seeking to end the decades-long conflict with the PKK that has claimed over 40,000 lives. - 'Postman of peace' - After his last visit on February 27, the delegation returned with a historic letter from Ocalan urging his militants to lay down their arms and disband. "I will be the postman of peace, if necessary. I'll give my life for that," Onder said. Known for his stubborn determination and irrepressible sense of humour, his efforts to promote peace won him widespread respect. "Events may seem depressing, but in reality, better days are just around the corner," he said with a smile in 2018, just before being jailed for a year on charges of spreading "terrorist propaganda". He was 16 when he first went to prison after joining a demonstration, and following a military coup in 1980 he was jailed again for joining a student protest, spending seven years behind bars and experiencing torture. Before entering politics, he had a varied career path, working as an apprentice photographer, lorry driver, builder and columnist. He also wrote and acted in the 2006 film "Beynelmilel" ("The International") about repression after the 1980 coup. "While most Turkish films about the coup focus on the defeat and discouragement of the left, 'Beynelmilel' is one of the few films on the subject that offers hope," said Turkish cinema specialist Mazlum Vesek. - 'I also represent the trees!' - After entering parliament in 2011, Onder became a prominent political figure during the 2013 Gezi Park protests that began in Istanbul over plans to raze a park. "I also represent the trees!" he shouted at police at the time. After Onder's hospitalisation in April, PKK founder Ocalan sent him a message of support, noting his "huge efforts for peace". "He is a person who was able to break down prejudices within society, within parliament and on the streets," he said. "His ability to cope with and manage adversity is important; he is able to turn negative situations into positive situations without making them worse." bg/hmw/rba/js/sbk
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Veteran Turkish pro-Kurd MP Sirri Sureyya Onder dies
Veteran Turkish pro-Kurd MP Sirri Sureyya Onder dies (Photo: AP) Sirri Sureyya Onder , a veteran politician who won respect across Turkey's political spectrum for his efforts to end years of conflict with the country's Kurdish ethnic minority, has died aged 62, an Istanbul hospital said on Saturday. A lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM party who served as parliament's deputy speaker, Onder died two and a half weeks after undergoing heart surgery following a cardiac arrest on April 15. The episode left him in critical condition, prompting an outpouring of concern including from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accuses DEM of ties to the banned Kurdish militant group PKK. Erdogan had called Onder's daughter to say he was "closely" monitoring her father's health, and on Saturday expressed his "sadness" at the news of his death. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo "I sincerely believe that we will reach the goal of a Turkey without terrorism which the mourned Onder had worked for so much in recent times," the Turkish president said. Born in 1962 into a Turkish socialist family in Adiyaman, in the Kurdish-majority southeast, Onder grew up immersed in both cultures, and went on to play a key role in helping to facilitate peace talks that began in 2013. "His temperament and career path made him a real expert in talking with everyone," Ertugrul Kurkcu, former head of the now-defunct HDP party, DEM's predecessor, told AFP. His role as a peacemaker came to the fore in recent months when he travelled three times to Imrali island to meet Abdullah Ocalan , the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as part of a small DEM delegation. The aim was to advance a fresh dialogue bid initiated by Ankara seeking to end the decades-long conflict with the PKK that has claimed over 40,000 lives. Postman of peace After his last visit on February 27, the delegation returned with a historic letter from Ocalan urging his militants to lay down their arms and disband. "I will be the postman of peace, if necessary. I'll give my life for that," Onder said. Known for his stubborn determination and irrepressible sense of humour, his efforts to promote peace won him widespread respect. "Events may seem depressing, but in reality, better days are just around the corner," he said with a smile in 2018, just before being jailed for a year on charges of spreading "terrorist propaganda". He was 16 when he first went to prison after joining a demonstration, and following a military coup in 1980 he was jailed again for joining a student protest, spending seven years behind bars and experiencing torture. Before entering politics, he had a varied career path, working as an apprentice photographer, lorry driver, builder and columnist. He also wrote and acted in the 2006 film "Beynelmilel" (The International) about repression after the 1980 coup. "While most Turkish films about the coup focus on the defeat and discouragement of the left, 'Beynelmilel' is one of the few films on the subject that offers hope," said Turkish cinema specialist Mazlum Vesek. I also represent the trees! After entering parliament in 2011, Onder became a prominent political figure during the 2013 Gezi Park protests that began in Istanbul over plans to raze a park. "I also represent the trees!" he shouted at police at the time. After Onder's hospitalisation in April, PKK founder Ocalan sent him a message of support, noting his "huge efforts for peace". "He is a person who was able to break down prejudices within society, within parliament and on the streets," he said. "His ability to cope with and manage adversity is important; he is able to turn negative situations into positive situations without making them worse."
