Latest news with #pro-Turkey
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pro-Turkey Syria groups reduce presence in Kurdish area: official
Pro-Turkey Syrian groups have scaled down their military presence in an historically Kurdish-majority area of the country's north which they have controlled since 2018, a Syrian defence ministry official said on Tuesday. The move follows an agreement signed last month between Syria's new authorities and Kurdish officials that provides for the return of displaced Kurds, including tens of thousands who fled the Afrin region in 2018. The pro-Ankara groups have "reduced their military presence and checkpoints" in Afrin, in Aleppo province, the official told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Their presence has been "maintained in the region for now", said the official, adding that authorities wanted to station them in army posts but these had been a regular target of Israeli strikes. After Islamist-led forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, the new authorities announced the disbanding of all armed groups and their integration into the new army, a move that should include pro-Turkey groups who control swathes of northern Syria. Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies carried out an offensive from January to March 2018 targeting Kurdish fighters in the Afrin area. The United Nations has estimated that half of the enclave's 320,000 inhabitants fled during the offensive. Human rights groups have since accused the pro-Turkey forces of human rights violations in the area. Last month, the Kurdish administration that controls swathes of northern and northeastern Syria struck a deal to integrate its civil and military institutions into those of the central government. Syria's new leadership has been seeking to unify the country since the December overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war. This month, Kurdish fighters withdrew from two neighbourhoods of Aleppo as part of the deal. Syrian Kurdish official Bedran Kurd said on X that the Aleppo city agreement "represents the first phase of a broader plan aimed at ensuring the safe return of the people of Afrin". The autonomous Kurdish-led administration's de facto army, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, played a key role in the recapture of the last territory held by the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019. str-lar/at/lg/kir
Rudaw Net
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
‘We do not exist without the olive tree': Afrin groves still under the axe
Also in Syria SDF begins withdrawal from Aleppo following agreement Kurds in Damascus cautiously hopeful about Aleppo deal UN urges Syria's new government to uphold inclusivity, minority rights Amnesty urges Damascus to hold accountable perpetrators of 'war crime' against Alawites A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - There are new security forces in Afrin, but farmers say their olive trees are still being chopped down, turning once-thriving groves into barren land and cutting off a vital source of livelihood for thousands. Mohammed Mohammed, the mukhtar of Metina village, estimated he has lost around 25 percent of his trees. 'We do not exist without the olive tree,' he told Rudaw. 'I have been tending this tree for 50 years. Today, it was cut down, gone, and dead. He may benefit from a few leaves, but he is causing us, as a nation, great harm overall,' Mohammed said with sorrow, referring to whoever had cut his tree. According to Mohammed, his neighbours and surrounding villages are suffering from the same problem. The olive trees are used either for heating or are sold. A man seen cutting trees confirmed this to Rudaw, saying under the condition of anonymity that he sells the wood and uses it for heating. Afrin is a Kurdish majority enclave in northwestern Syria. Its lush olive groves are a key part of its economy, producing tons of olives and olive oil every year. In 2018, Turkey and its Syrian mercenaries invaded the enclave and seized control. Members of the pro-Turkey armed groups have been accused of committing human rights violations against the Kurdish population by international monitors and the United Nations. They are also accused of cutting down olive trees. Despite repeated complaints from residents, the relevant authorities have been unable to stop the damage to the olive groves or compensate those affected. 'Farmers used to come to the Chamber of Agriculture, but it's a civilian institution and could not fulfill its role in this matter,' Abdulqadir Ismail from Afrin's Chamber of Agriculture told Rudaw. 'They would go to other entities like the civil police, but the police would expel them or refer them to the court. Unfortunately, compensation is not within our responsibilities. There is no entity capable of providing it,' Ismail said. The new Syrian government has deployed security forces to Afrin to restore order and facilitate the return of people who were displaced from their homes. The head of the Damascus-affiliated forces in Afrin advised people who were victims of the Turkish-backed armed groups to file complaints. They should 'resort to the judiciary to reclaim their rights, possessions and properties,' Abu Ahmed told Rudaw in an interview last week.
The Independent
27-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Jailed Kurdish separatist leader calls for PKK to disarm in move that could shake up Turkey and Middle East
Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdish separatist PKK has called on his movement to lay down its arms and dissolve itself – in a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Turkey and have significant implications for the security of the wider region. Ocalan, 75, issued the order to disarm from an island prison south of Istanbul, where he has been kept in isolation after being captured in Kenya in 1999 by Turkish special forces. The PKK is banned as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US. If the PKK's leadership heeds its founder's appeal, which is not guaranteed, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would gain a historic opportunity to pacify and develop southern Turkey, where violence has killed thousands of people and devastated the regional economy. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its armed campaign in 1984 for an ethnic Kurdish homeland in southeastern Turkey. It has since moved away from its separatist goals and instead sought more autonomy for southeast Turkey and greater Kurdish rights. 'I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call,' Ocalan said in a letter made public by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party members. The politicians held three recent meetings with the PKK leader at his island prison just four months after the idea was first raised by a political ally of Erdogan. Ocalan wants the PKK to hold a congress and to formally agree to dissolve itself, the politicians quoted him as saying. In the first reaction to Ocalan's appeal from Erdogan's ruling AK Party, its deputy chairman Efkan Ala said Turkey would be "free of its shackles' if the PKK truly laid down its weapons and disbanded. There was no immediate response from the PKK commanders' headquarters in the mountains of northern Iraq. But Ocalan's message is likely to ripple across factions of Kurdish armed groups spread across northern Iraq and Syria. A new central government in Iraq that is more willing to work with Turkey has already put them in a more vulnerable position. In Syria, where the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad in December has led to the establishment of a strongly pro-Turkey leadership in Damascus, Ocalan's call could prompt the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to expel members of the PKK-aligned People's Protection Units (YPG), as Ankara has demanded. The group is currently in talks with the new authority in Damascus after the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad, negotiating control over northeastern Syria as well as their future role in a nationwide military force.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Explainer-A call for peace in Turkey: what's in it for key actors?
By Jonathan Spicer ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's 40-year battle against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) could be nearing an end after its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called on the militant group on Thursday to lay down its arms and disband. Ocalan's statement, announced by the opposition pro-Kurdish DEM party that held three recent meetings with the PKK leader at his island prison, comes four months after the idea was first raised by a political ally of President Tayyip Erdogan. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. There was no immediate response to Ocalan's appeal from the PKK commanders' headquarters in the mountains of northern Iraq WHAT'S IN IT FOR ERDOGAN? Ending the insurgency would be a major achievement for Turkey's president after past efforts failed to resolve a conflict in which more than 40,000 people have died since 1984. Erdogan has called it "one of the last obstacles blocking the goal of a great and powerful Turkey". Though it remains unclear whether a ceasefire or peace deal could ultimately emerge, Ocalan's call may also boost Erdogan's own political prospects. In order to extend his rule beyond 2028, when his last term as president ends, he would need the support of an opposition party, perhaps DEM, in order to amend the constitution or bring about early elections. He could also capitalise on military gains against the PKK in mountainous northern Iraq, where it is based, and in Syria, where the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad in December has led to the establishment of a strongly pro-Turkey leadership in Damascus. Ocalan's call could prompt the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to expel members of the PKK-aligned People's Protection Units (YPG), as Ankara has demanded. ANY RISKS? There are risks for Erdogan in resurrecting Ocalan, a figure reviled by most Turks, including supporters of his ruling AK Party (AKP). Mehmet Guner, head of the Martyrs' Families Association for Turkish troops, told Reuters he was "extremely unhappy and very angry" that the government backed Ocalan's public call. "For 40 years, this country has fought against terrorism, sacrificing thousands of martyrs and veterans... We absolutely do not find it appropriate to negotiate with the leader of the terrorists in this manner," he said. On the Kurdish side, if PKK fighters refuse to heed Ocalan's call and violence continues or even worsens, the distrust that many Turkish Kurds already have for Erdogan could deepen. WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE KURDS? The pro-Kurdish political movement, the target of a years-long judicial crackdown, will hope Ocalan's call eventually translates into democratic reforms and greater cultural and language rights for Kurds. A peace deal could also ease social tensions generally across Turkey, and boost the under-developed economy of its mainly Kurdish southeast. Shortly after one of DEM's meetings with Ocalan in December, Ankara announced a $14 billion regional development plan for the southeast. "Many Kurds simply do not trust the Turkish state. Any meaningful disarmament process would require concrete steps from Ankara - such as guarantees of political and cultural rights for Kurds - before, not after, a peace deal is made," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based political analyst. If DEM continues to cooperate with Erdogan's AKP - reversing years of fierce opposition - it could also seek to have reinstated the many elected mayors that Turkish authorities have removed from positions and replaced with pro-government officials. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR SYRIA? The Syrian Kurdish SDF, a key U.S. ally, is still battling Turkish and Turkish-backed Syrian forces in the border regions. If SDF commander Mazloum Abdi can filter YPG members from his group, the Kurdish forces could more easily join Syria's newly-forming security structure, centralising and stabilising the country as it emerges from 13 years of civil war. "The YPG will likely heed Ocalan if he asks them to play nice with Turkey, even if some leaders in Qandil (the PKK headquarters in Iraq) advise the group to do otherwise," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute. IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S.-TURKISH TIES? While the United States deems the PKK terrorists, it has been allied with the YPG's umbrella group in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. Turkey has sharply criticised this U.S. stance as a betrayal of a NATO ally. Steps toward ending the PKK insurgency could "remove the PKK thorn from U.S.-Turkish relations and pave the way for their anticipated reset under the second Trump administration," Cagaptay said. "Removing the PKK from Syria's political landscape would pave the way for Turkey to cooperate with Washington and the Syrian Kurds on many issues beneficial to U.S. interests, such as containing the Islamic State, rebuilding the country, and establishing stable Turkish ties with different Syrian groups," he said.
Reuters
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ocalan's call for peace in Turkey: what's in it for key actors?
ISTANBUL, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Turkey's 40-year battle against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) could be nearing an end after its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called on the militant group on Thursday to lay down its arms and disband. Ocalan's statement, announced by the opposition pro-Kurdish DEM party that held three recent meetings with the PKK leader at his island prison, comes four months after the idea was first raised by a political ally of President Tayyip Erdogan. There was no immediate response to Ocalan's appeal from the PKK commanders' headquarters in the mountains of WHAT'S IN IT FOR ERDOGAN? Ending the insurgency would be a major achievement for Turkey's president after past efforts failed to resolve a conflict in which more than 40,000 people have died since 1984. Erdogan has called it "one of the last obstacles blocking the goal of a great and powerful Turkey". Though it remains unclear whether a ceasefire or peace deal could ultimately emerge, Ocalan's call may also boost Erdogan's own political prospects. In order to extend his rule beyond 2028, when his last term as president ends, he would need the support of an opposition party, perhaps DEM, in order to amend the constitution or bring about early elections. He could also capitalise on military gains against the PKK in mountainous northern Iraq, where it is based, and in Syria, where the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad in December has led to the establishment of a strongly pro-Turkey leadership in Damascus. Ocalan's call could prompt the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to expel members of the PKK-aligned People's Protection Units (YPG), as Ankara has demanded. ANY RISKS? There are risks for Erdogan in resurrecting Ocalan, a figure reviled by most Turks, including supporters of his ruling AK Party (AKP). Mehmet Guner, head of the Martyrs' Families Association for Turkish troops, told Reuters he was "extremely unhappy and very angry" that the government backed Ocalan's public call. "For 40 years, this country has fought against terrorism, sacrificing thousands of martyrs and veterans... We absolutely do not find it appropriate to negotiate with the leader of the terrorists in this manner," he said. On the Kurdish side, if PKK fighters refuse to heed Ocalan's call and violence continues or even worsens, the distrust that many Turkish Kurds already have for Erdogan could deepen. WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE KURDS? The pro-Kurdish political movement, the target of a years-long judicial crackdown, will hope Ocalan's call eventually translates into democratic reforms and greater cultural and language rights for Kurds. A peace deal could also ease social tensions generally across Turkey, and boost the under-developed economy of its mainly Kurdish southeast. Shortly after one of DEM's meetings with Ocalan in December, Ankara announced a $14 billion regional development plan for the southeast. "Many Kurds simply do not trust the Turkish state. Any meaningful disarmament process would require concrete steps from Ankara - such as guarantees of political and cultural rights for Kurds - before, not after, a peace deal is made," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based political analyst. If DEM continues to cooperate with Erdogan's AKP - reversing years of fierce opposition - it could also seek to have reinstated the many elected mayors that Turkish authorities have removed from positions and replaced with pro-government officials. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR SYRIA? The Syrian Kurdish SDF, a key U.S. ally, is still battling Turkish and Turkish-backed Syrian forces in the border regions. If SDF commander Mazloum Abdi can filter YPG members from his group, the Kurdish forces could more easily join Syria's newly-forming security structure, centralising and stabilising the country as it emerges from 13 years of civil war. "The YPG will likely heed Ocalan if he asks them to play nice with Turkey, even if some leaders in Qandil (the PKK headquarters in Iraq) advise the group to do otherwise," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute. IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S.-TURKISH TIES? While the United States deems the PKK terrorists, it has been allied with the YPG's umbrella group in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. Turkey has sharply criticised this U.S. stance as a betrayal of a NATO ally. Steps toward ending the PKK insurgency could "remove the PKK thorn from U.S.-Turkish relations and pave the way for their anticipated reset under the second Trump administration," Cagaptay said. "Removing the PKK from Syria's political landscape would pave the way for Turkey to cooperate with Washington and the Syrian Kurds on many issues beneficial to U.S. interests, such as containing the Islamic State, rebuilding the country, and establishing stable Turkish ties with different Syrian groups," he said.
