A pro-Kurdish human rights group is organizing a meeting that will bring together families of Turkish soldiers and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants who lost their lives in the decades-long conflict.
The event, titled “The road to peace: Memory and justice,” will be held on Jun 21–22 in Diyarbakır, a Kurdish-populated city in southeastern Turkey. It is organized by the Human Rights Association (İHD) and will also include journalists, academics, and civil society representatives.
Ercan Yılmaz, head of the İHD’s Diyarbakır branch, told Mezopotamya Agency (MA) that the event aims to contribute to the ongoing Kurdish peace process.
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“We are preparing a meeting to support the discussions on a democratic solution to the Kurdish question,” Yılmaz said. “On Jun 21, we want to listen to citizens who have been directly or indirectly affected by the armed conflict between the state and the PKK.”
The goal is to bring together those harmed by the conflict, Yılmaz said, adding, “Alongside the Kurdish community, there are others affected: families of Turkish soldiers and police officers who lost their lives. We want these two groups to sit side by side and speak about the possibility of peace despite the damage this war has caused.
“One of the most important aspects that must not be ignored is how those directly affected feel about the process. We believe their support is key to building a social foundation for peace.”
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He also acknowledged the difficult conditions under which many still support the peace process. “Despite losing their children, freedom, or jobs due to rights violations caused by the conflict, many people are still willing to support this process. That is significant for achieving lasting peace.”
“Although both the PKK and the state have declared an end to armed conflict, we believe that such initiatives are essential to transforming this into a real and lasting peace,” Yılmaz added.
The peace initiative
The meeting comes amid a renewed peace initiative that was launched by the ruling bloc in October last year. As part of the initative, the PKK on May 12 announced its decision to disband following a congress held in response to a Feb 27 appeal from its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The initiative was launched by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key government ally. Bahçeli had suggested Öcalan declare the group’s dissolution in return for a potential “right to hope,” which could lead to improved prison conditions or future release.
The armed conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state began in the early 1980s and has claimed more than 30,000 lives, including soldiers, militants, and civilians. It has spanned Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeastern provinces, as well as parts of Iraq and Syria. (AB/VK)
