Disarmament, Politicisation, Democratisation

How can we establish a relationship between disarmament and the end of armed conflict, on the one hand, with democratisation, on the other? Under what social and political conditions can a lasting and inclusive peace become possible?

These are among the key questions debated since the launch of the new process between Türkiye and the PKK.

As the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Istanbul Office, we have been working on peace and the Kurdish question since our establishment. We are organising a conference entitled “Disarmament, Politicisation, Democratisation: The Prospects for Peace on the Kurdish Question” to explore possibilities for peace through the lenses of democratisation and social peace.

Taking place on 4–5 December 2026 at the Ramada Plaza, the conference comes at a critical moment, as debates on the Kurdish question return to the forefront and regional and domestic political dynamics shift.

Rather than confining the Kurdish question to security and negotiations, we will explore it through a broader range of issues, including democracy, citizenship, political representation, social peace, the expectations of women and younger generations, the role of civil society, and regional transformation.

Bringing together diverse experiences and perspectives from politics, academia, the media and civil society, we aim to assess the current process, draw lessons from past experiences, and reflect collectively on new possibilities for a democratic future.

We look forward to thinking and debating together during the panels and open forum sessions over these two days.

📅4–5 December 2026
📍Ramada Plaza By Wyndham Istanbul City Center
Language: Turkish, with simultaneous interpretation into English
RSVP: Please complete the registration form by close of business on Tuesday, 1 December.

PROGRAMME

Friday, 4 December 2026

09:00–09:20 Registration

09:20–09:30 Opening remarks: Dawid Bartelt, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Istanbul Office

09:30–11:00 | Panel 1: Taking Stock of the Process Two Years On

• Where does the process stand? Actors, stages, opportunities and risks | Hatem Ete
• The second transition challenge: Institutional commitments and the implementation of a legal framework | Cengiz Çiçek
• The opposition’s role in the peace process: Politics, parliament and democratisation | Ahmet Şık
• From disarmament to social peace in the context of global, regional and domestic political dynamics: Opportunities and risks | Arzu Yılmaz
  Moderator: Şirin Payzın

11:00–11:30 Coffee break

11:30–13:00 | Panel 2: From Disarmament to Politicisation: Social and Economic Dimensions

• Restorative and transformative justice: Economic, social and psychosocial reintegration of those laying down their arms, and the dimensions of acceptance and reconciliation | Yasin Duman
• Confronting the past, transforming the present: Imagining a new social contract | Noémi Lévy-Aksu
• The limits of illiberal peace: Is politicisation possible without justice and democracy? | Zeynep Ardıç
• Regional income disparities, economic inequalities and their relationship with social peace | Mehmet Kaya
  Moderator: Ceren Bayer

13:00–14:00 Lunch break

14:00–15:30 | Panel 3: Third-Party Actors: Civil Society, Public Opinion and Communities

• The mediating role of civil society | Mehmet Ali Çalışkan
• How do we talk about peace? The frameworks of public discourse | Bülent Küçük
• From disarmament to peace: Women remain insistent | Gültan Kışanak
• What does the post-conflict generation want? | Yusuf Akdağ
  Moderator: Dilek Odabaş

15:30–16:00 Coffee break

16:00–17:30 | Open Forum: What We Carry Forward into Tomorrow | Olcay Özer

17:30–18:30 Musical performance: Rewşan

Saturday, 5 December 2026

10:00–11:30 | Panel 4: From War to Peace: Telling a New Story in a New Language

• From the field to peace: The case of Amedspor | Vahap Coşkun
• Crafting new narratives: “Kurds in the City” | Mehmet Uğur Korkmaz
• From seeking accountability to shaping horizons on the Kurdish question: A hope-centred perspective | Kerem Çiftçioğlu
• A new story, in what language? | Rojda Aksoy
  Moderator: Gözde Şeker

11:30–12:30 Lunch break

12:30–14:00 | Panel 5: Reconciliation and Democracy on the Kurdish Question

• Change in Kurdish society: New agents of change and evolving expectations | Reha Ruhavioğlu
• The Kurdish question and democratisation in Türkiye: How can their structural relationship be re-established? | Mesut Yeğen
• Imagining a disarmed present and future: Is a shared narrative possible? | Levent Korkut
• What does the process mean for women? Disarmament and women's security: Insights from the field | Newroz Ünverdi
  Moderator: Cansu Çamlıbel

14:00–14:30 Coffee break

14:30–15:30 | Closing Session: Understanding What Makes This Process Distinctive: The Prospects, Challenges and Future of Peace | Esra Elmas