Negotiating for peace and democracy? The end of armed struggle and the new peace process in Turkey

For the first time since the failure of the 2013-2015 peace process, there is a chance of ending the long-standing and bloody conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In May 2025, the PKK published a declaration in which it announced to end the armed struggle, to disband the organization and to pave the way for a peaceful, political solution. This development represents an historic step. It was preceded by the call by imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan for an end to the armed struggle in February 2025 and surprising support for a new peace process by the leader of the ultra-nationalist MHP, Devlet Bahçeli, in October 2024, as well as intensive talks between the pro-Kurdish DEM party and the AKP government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Öcalan.

These developments raise hopes for lasting peace in Turkey and neighboring countries, as well as democratic participation and cultural rights for Turkey's Kurdish population. They are taking place, however, against the backdrop of ongoing political polarization and state repression - for example, against mayors of the DEM party and, most recently, the largest opposition party CHP. The arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on March 19th is seen by many as a further sign of an increasingly authoritarian government.

As the most important Kurdish voice, the DEM party is a key player in the peace process. One of its representatives in this discussion is the co-chairman of the party and member of parliament, Tuncer Bakırhan. He is now visiting Germany as part of a DEM delegation.

In conversation with journalist Can Dündar and political scientist Sinem Adar, Tuncer Bakırhan discusses the progress of the peace process so far, the conditions for lasting peace and the challenges for democratic participation in Turkey.

With:

• Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the DEM party and member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly
• Can Dündar, journalist, documentary filmmaker and author
• Sinem Adar, research associate at the Center for Applied Turkish Studies (CATS) of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and co-lead of the thematic line Autocratization as a Challenge for German and European Politics (SWP)

Moderator: Maximilian Popp, Journalist and deputy head of foreign affairs, DER SPIEGEL

The event will be held in Turkish and German. Simultaneous translation will be provided. 

Please arrive for check-in at least 15 minutes before the start of the event.

Contact: 
Deitra Myers
Division European Union and North America
E myers@boell.de

Your Participation in the event

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at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

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