Turkish Kurdish Party Warns Syria Violence Imperils Domestic Peace Process
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in Turkey has issued a stark warning that escalating violence against Kurdish factions in neighbouring Syria poses a direct threat to delicate reconciliation efforts with Kurdish militants inside Turkey. The caution came during a party meeting held on Tuesday in the border town of Nusaybin, following the rapid collapse of a Syrian ceasefire agreement.
Ceasefire Shatters Amid Renewed Clashes
The warning from DEM co-chair Tulay Hatimogullari followed intense new fighting in Syria on Monday, which effectively shattered a ceasefire and integration deal reached just a day earlier between interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). That Sunday agreement had called for the SDF to relinquish control of most territory in northeastern Syria and dismantle its military structures, with fighters to be integrated into Syria's national army on a case-by-case basis.
Despite these provisions, renewed hostilities erupted almost immediately, prompting the SDF to call for resistance. This development has cast a long shadow over parallel peace initiatives within Turkey itself.
Emotional and Political Repercussions
"At a time when we are talking about internal peace and calm, can there really be peace, if Kurds are being massacred in Syria and the feelings of Kurds in Turkey are ignored?" Hatimogullari questioned during the meeting in Nusaybin, which lies directly across the border from Syria's predominantly Kurdish town of Qamishli. Her remarks underscore the deep emotional and political linkages between Kurdish communities on both sides of the border.
The situation triggered immediate public demonstrations. Dozens of DEM supporters marched through Nusaybin, denouncing what they labelled a "massacre" against Kurds in Syria and criticising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's support for the Syrian government. The protests escalated when a group lowered a Turkish flag from a military observation post, leading to clashes with police and condemnation from a top Erdogan aide, who called the act a deliberate provocation.
Intertwined Fates of PKK and SDF
The core of the tension lies in Turkey's view of the SDF as an inseparable extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Kurdish separatist group that has waged a four-decade insurgency inside Turkey. This connection makes developments in Syria critically important for Turkey's own peace process.
In a significant move last May, the PKK announced it would disarm and disband as part of new peace efforts with Turkey, following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. The group staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq and later stated it was withdrawing its remaining fighters from Turkey.
However, the SDF has explicitly rejected pressure to follow the PKK's example, insisting that Ocalan's directive applied only to the PKK and not to militants operating in Syria. This refusal creates a major complication for Turkish policymakers.
Official Warnings and Historical Skepticism
In a televised address on Monday, President Erdogan issued a stern warning to the SDF against stalling or obstructing the agreement with Damascus. "Procrastination, resistance, and playing for time by hiding behind various excuses will benefit no one," Erdogan stated. "The era of terrorism in our region has come to an end. The requirements of the ceasefire and full integration agreement must be fulfilled without delay."
Turkish officials had initially hailed Sunday's deal as a historic turning point. Feti Yıldız, a parliamentarian involved in drafting peace proposals with the PKK, suggested the accord could have positive repercussions for Turkey's own reconciliation process.
Yet, profound skepticism remains. Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have collapsed repeatedly, most recently in 2015, leaving deep scars and doubts about whether the current, fragile process can ultimately succeed. The violence in Syria now adds another layer of instability to an already complex and volatile situation.
