TURKEY

İMRALI — A delegation from Turkey’s Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi, DEM Party) met with imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan at İmralı Prison, where he emphasized the urgent need for a “fraternity-driven charter” as a transformative approach to Kurdish-Turkish relations.  In a message conveyed by…

ANKARA — In a surprising political shift, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), proposed the creation of a multi-party parliamentary committee to oversee Turkey’s emerging peace process with Kurdish factions.  The proposal comes in the wake of a historic announcement by the Kurdistan…

QANDIL, Iraq — Murat Karayılan, a senior leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK), expressed hope that the Turkish government will enact significant legal reforms and establish appropriate legislative frameworks in response to the PKK’s recent decision to lay down its arms. Karayılan, 70, who commands the…

BETH NAHRIN — At its 12th congress in northern Iraq on 12 May, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK) announced an end to its four-decade armed conflict with Turkey and stated it would transition to a democratic political struggle. The historic move, called for by imprisoned PKK leader…

ANKARA / BAGHDAD — A recent report by CEOWorld has spotlighted significant shortcomings in women’s rights in Iraq and Turkey, placing both countries in troubling positions within global rankings.  Iraq ranked 123rd out of 156 nations, reinforcing its position among the world’s lowest performers in gender equality and women’s rights.…

QANDIL MOUNTAINS — The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK) officially announced its disbandment, marking the end of its 40-year armed insurgency against the Turkish state. The decision represents a seismic shift in the political and security dynamics of the region. The decision was reached during a high-level meeting…

STOCKHOLM — The Syriac network Geshro has launched an ambitious survey titled Turabdin och Framtiden (Tur Abdin and the Future) to gather insights from the diaspora community in Sweden. The initiative aims to explore evolving perspectives on the historic Tur Abdin region, focusing on its potential for investment, tourism, and…

ANKARA — The X, formerly Twitter, account of the Syriac Military Council (Mawtbo Fulhoyo Suryoyo, MFS) has been restricted today for users of the media platform in Turkey. When entering the X account of the Syriac Military Council, the platform indicates that “Access is blocked for @syriacmfs.” It further states…

QANDIL – In a statement released today to Firat News, the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) announced that it has convened its twelveth congress, with the participation of all its branches. The convention comes after the call of its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan to convene its Congress and lay down its arms.…

ANKARA / BAGHDAD — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Ankara this week, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and signed ten cooperation agreements spanning defense, education, infrastructure, and security. In a joint press conference following the talks,…