ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s fragile peace initiative with Kurdish militants faces imminent jeopardy following renewed violence in northeastern Syria, according to warnings from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM). The cautionary statement emerged as a recently brokered ceasefire between Syrian authorities and Kurdish-led forces unraveled merely days after its signing.
DEM Party co-chair Tulay Hatimogullari raised pointed questions about reconciliation prospects during a gathering in the border town of Nusaybin, situated opposite Syria’s predominantly Kurdish Qamishli. “How can we genuinely discuss internal peace and stability,” she challenged, “while Kurds face massacres in Syria and the sentiments of Turkish Kurds remain disregarded?”
The disputed agreement, finalized Sunday under Turkish mediation, mandated the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) relinquish control over most northeastern territories and dismantle military infrastructure. The framework provided for case-by-case integration of SDF fighters into Syrian national security forces. Despite these provisions, combat resumed Monday, prompting Kurdish forces to mobilize resistance efforts.
Concurrent with political warnings, dozens of DEM supporters demonstrated in Nusaybin, condemning what they characterized as Syrian atrocities against Kurds and criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s backing of Damascus. Tensions escalated when protesters removed a Turkish flag from a military observation post, triggering police intervention and official denouncements from presidential aides who labeled the act a deliberate provocation.
Turkish authorities had initially celebrated the Syrian agreement as a historic breakthrough following intense combat. Parliamentarian Feti Yıldız, engaged in drafting peace proposals with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), suggested the accord might positively influence Turkey’s domestic reconciliation process.
The geopolitical complexity stems from Turkey’s perception of the SDF as intrinsically linked to the PKK, which has waged a four-decade insurgency within Turkish borders. In a significant development last May, the PKK announced disarmament and dissolution following directives from imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. The group conducted symbolic disarmament ceremonies in northern Iraq and withdrew remaining fighters from Turkey.
However, the SDF has resisted pressure to emulate the PKK’s actions, maintaining that Ocalan’s instructions applied exclusively to Turkey-based militants. President Erdogan issued stern warnings in a Monday address, cautioning against delays or obstructions in implementing the Syrian agreement. “Procrastination and resistance through fabricated excuses will benefit no one,” he declared. “Terrorism’s era in our region has concluded. The ceasefire and integration requirements must be fulfilled without delay.”
Historical context looms large over current developments, with previous peace initiatives between Turkey and the PKK collapsing—most notably in 2015—generating widespread skepticism regarding the sustainability of present efforts.