Latest news with #SirriSureyyaOnder
France 24
19-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
After PKK's landmark disarmament, Ocala urges 'major shift' to mend Turkey ties
A "major" shift is needed to repair broken ties between the Turkish state and the country's Kurdish minority following the historic decision of the Kurdistan Workers Party to disarm, its jailed founder said Sunday. The message from Abdullah Ocalan was transmitted through a delegation of the pro-Kurdish DEM party who visited the Imrali prison island near Istanbul where Ocalan has been serving life in solitary confinement since 1999. It was their first visit since the May 12 disarmament announcement, which sought to draw a line under conflict that began in 1984 when the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) took up arms. More than 40,000 people have died since. "What we are doing involves a major paradigm shift," wrote the 76-year-old former guerrilla. "The Turkish-Kurdish relationship is like a brotherly relationship that is broken. Brothers and sisters fight, but they can't exist without each other," he said, calling for "a new agreement based on the concept of brotherhood". 41:43 "We must clear away, one-by-one, all the traps and minefields that spoil this relationship, we must repair the broken roads and bridges." Only DEM lawmaker Pervin Buldan visited Ocalan this time, with lawyer Ozgur Erol, following the recent death of veteran Turkish peacemaker Sirri Sureyya Onder. Onder, who was Turkey 's deputy parliamentary speaker, died on May 3, after suffering a cardiac arrest and just days before the PKK's historic decision. He had spent years trying to end the conflict with Turkey's Kurdish minority in efforts that earned respect from across the political spectrum. Since December, he had been part of a delegation that visited Ocalan several times, shuttling messages between him and Turkey's political establishment and paving the way for the PKK move. "I had a hankering to speak to Sirri Sureyya Onder one last time," Ocalan wrote, describing him as "a wise person for Turkey" and saying he left behind "a cherished memory that we need to keep alive". The government has said it will carefully monitor the disarmament process and in turn, observers expect the government to show a new openness to the Kurds who make up about 20 percent of the 85 million population. Ocalan is unlikely to be freed, as his life would likely come under threat, but the conditions of his imprisonment are likely to be "eased", officials say.
Rudaw Net
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey's main opposition leader attacked in Istanbul
Also in Turkey Kurdish leaders praise peace efforts of Sirri Sureyya Onder who died Saturday 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 A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ozgur Ozel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was attacked in Istanbul on Sunday after attending the funeral of pro-Kurdish politician Sirri Sureyya Onder. Ozel was slapped in the face after attending the funeral in Istanbul. The attacker was immediately detained and taken into custody, the opposition ANKA media outlet reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Ozel after the attack 'to express his best wishes for a speedy recovery, and stated that he is closely following the process to ensure the incident is fully investigated,' Fahrettin Altun, head of communications for the Turkish presidency, said on X. The attack was strongly condemned by Erdogan and major voices across Turkey, including the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). 'This attack is essentially a provocation for the search for peace and a democratic society, embodied by Sirri Sureyya Onder,' the DEM Party said in a statement, condemning the attack and wishing a speedy recovery. Onder, 62, was a member of the Turkish parliament on the ticket of the DEM Party. He was part of the Imrali delegation that visited jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (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. The attacker, identified as 66-year-old S.T., has a criminal record from a 2004 trial for killing two of his children and injuring the two others. 'There is no sign of mental illness, according to the first determinations,' ANKA said, citing a statement from Istanbul's public prosecutor. 'He has a record for theft and crimes of threat. S.T., who was sentenced to life imprisonment, was released on parole in 2020,' the interior ministry said, and Minister Ali Yerlikaya asserted that the assailant 'will receive the punishment he deserves before the law.' The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also condemned the attack. 'We condemn the attack on CHP leader Ozgur Ozel. We extend our best wishes to Mr. Ozel. No attack on the institution of politics is acceptable. The attacker will be held accountable before the law,' AKP spokesperson Omer Celik said.
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.
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."
