This timeline follows efforts to find a solution to the transnational Turkish-Kurdish conflict and the status of Syria’s Kurdish-led autonomous regions, two closely related diplomatic challenges with significant impacts on the security and political future of the Middle East. Sources include Kurdish, Turkish, Arab and international media and the official accounts and press departments of individuals and organizations quoted.

January 23, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation issued a statement on their second meeting with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan: As the DEM Party İmralı Delegation, we held a meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island on January 22, 2025. During the meeting, Mr. Öcalan first offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic fire in Bolu and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Our delegation provided him with the necessary information regarding the meetings we held. Mr. Öcalan’s work on the process continues. Once his preparations on this matter are completed, the necessary statements will be made to the public. We, as a delegation, will continue our work and contacts, and will inform the public as developments occur. This process will enable everyone, all of us, to live together and freely. We expect valuable contributions from all segments of society in the hope that this will happen.” 
• Abdullah Ocalan told the DEM Party Imrali Delegation that efforts to present political parties with information about the previous meeting were “very valuable” and said “There is still a long way to go. We have to succeed this time,” according to DEM Party officials quoted by Mezopotamya Agency.
• KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to a readout, the two discussed the situation in Syria and the importance of protecting the rights of the Kurdish community.
• Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said that the SDF was refusing to hand arms over to the new state.
• The SDF denied rumors of clashes between their forces and Syrian government forces. Abu Omar al-Idlibi, an Arab SDF commander, alleged that a meeting between the SDF, the new Syrian military authorities, and the U.S.-led Coalition had taken place to address counter-ISIS coordination.
• U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. “Secretary Rubio highlighted the need for an inclusive transition in Syria, ensuring that the new government prevents Syria from becoming a source for international terrorism, and denying foreign malign actors the opportunity to exploit Syria’s transition for their own objectives,” said a U.S. readout.

January 22, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation met with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan for a second time. The meeting lasted four hours.
• KCK Executive Council Member Duran Kalkan said “apart from words, we don’t see anything in practice” in reference to negotiations with the government of Turkey. “We are not saying that everything is negative, but especially those who make these calls, those who are responsible for this, if they really want to change something, then they must take the practical steps required by it,” he continued.
• Journalist Amberin Zaman reported for Al-Monitor that an agreement between the PKK and the government of Turkey that would end the 40-year-old armed conflict in Turkey and promote a resolution to the Kurdish issue in northern Syria was “close to being finalized.”
• Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani shared a message in the Kurdish language on his X account. “Kurds in Syria add beauty and light to the diversity of the Syrian people. The Kurdish community in Syria suffered under the Assad regime. Together, we can establish a country where everyone can feel equality and justice,” he wrote. The post marked the first time a Syrian official had issued an official statement in the Kurdish language. Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) Foreign Minister Ilham Ahmed responded on her X account, saying that Shaibani’s statement was positive. “Kurds will give their color to Syrian society when their rights are guaranteed in the constitution. Together, we can establish a pluralist, equal, and decentralized new Syria,” she wrote.
• In an interview with the Financial Times, Shaibani said that the new government would guarantee Kurdish rights and representation and that there was no longer any justification for the existence of the SDF.
• Speaking to the AFP,  Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said that the door was open for negotiations between the SDF and Damascus, but that the new government was ready to use force if they failed.
• UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said “We need to give the two parties [the SDF and HTS] time to find a solution so that we…avoid a full-scale military confrontation. A full-scale military confrontation will have a very negative impact on Syria and should be avoided because I think we are now looking for the beginning, for a new Syria, then hopefully that will also include the Northeast in a peaceful manner through a diplomatic process.”

January 21, 2025

• Former KRG President Masoud Barzani met with a delegation of the KNC to discuss Syrian Kurdish unity efforts. “​​During the meeting, President Barzani stressed the need to unify ranks, coordinate and work together between the Kurdish parties in Syria,” said a readout from the KDP foreign relations press office.

January 20, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation applied to meet with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan for a second time.
• The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs expressed support for SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi and former KRG President Masoud Barzani’s meeting in a post on X. “Intra-Kurdish dialogue can play a critical role in bolstering an inclusive political transition in Syria,” they underlined.

January 19, 2025

• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi told Al Arabiya that the SDF would not disarm or dissolve, but would be willing to pursue a negotiated integration into a future Syrian army. He reiterated that the SDF did not seek to divide Syria and instead hoped for the rights of Kurds to be guaranteed by the constitution. In addition, he expressed support for dialogue between the government of Turkey and the PKK, saying “Kurdish leader Öcalan, has extended a hand of peace to [Erdogan]. He must seize this opportunity because it represents a historic chance for him, otherwise he will regret it.”
• Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said that integration as a unified bloc was not an appropriate resolution for the status of the SDF.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would “eradicate” all terrorist organizations in Syria and take “radical” steps to crush the YPG.

January 18, 2025

• In a written statement, the KCK Executive Council claimed for the first time that the “total isolation” of Abdullah Ocalan had been “overcome.” They called the DEM Party’s meetings with other parties in parliament “positive” and said that “we consider the support of all political parties and democratic mass organizations crucial for the solution of the Kurdish question and the end of the war.”

January 17, 2025

• The DEM Party shared a statement summarizing the Imrali Delegation’s meetings with political parties. The text of the statement was as follows: “After our meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan on Imrali Island on 28 December 2024, we conducted a series of talks based on the outcomes of that meeting and his expressed wishes. These included meetings with the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), political parties, and our political colleagues currently in prison. Our visits and meetings began on 3 January with the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, and continued with meetings with the leaders and representatives of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Future Party, Justice and Development Party (AKP), Felicity Party (SP), Republican People’s Party (CHP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), and the Re-Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi). On 11-12 January, we also met with our former co-chairs and political colleagues currently in prison, including Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ, Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş, Ms. Leyla Güven, and Mr. Selçuk Mızraklı. This process of dialogue and exchange of ideas, which focuses on peace, has also been initiated with our co-chairs, party committees, the political parties and formations that make up our coalition, our allied political parties, and civil society organizations. We would first like to extend our sincere gratitude and respect to all the political parties and their esteemed leaders who received us with courtesy and good will, shared their valuable opinions and suggestions, and expressed their concerns and criticisms in a highly constructive manner. The main focus of our meeting agendas was to convey the results of our discussion with Mr. Öcalan and evaluate the new developments together. These discussions centered around finding a lasting solution to the Kurdish question and the resulting conflict, the historical responsibility to strengthen the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, the obligations arising from the deep and irreversible developments in the Middle East, and the recognition of the Parliament and democratic politics as the most important platforms for resolving these issues. Nearly all the meetings were positive, sincere, and encouraging. Leaders and their delegations expressed their principled support for a peace process. However, they also raised various concerns and made suggestions, primarily regarding the transparency of the process and the need for it to be conducted within the framework of the Parliament. Our delegation responded to these concerns and clarified ambiguities during the discussions. Our impression from these meetings is that there is a shared desire and will among all political parties to move beyond the conflict and tension caused by the Kurdish question. There is a shared understanding that fostering the unity and brotherhood of all ethnic, religious, and sect groups in our country would benefit everyone. A parallel feeling is that the peace process should also contribute to general democratization and the expansion of the democratic political space. Our discussions with our co-chairs and colleagues in prison were also highly constructive. They expressed their clear support for the role that Mr. Öcalan and the DEM Party will play in this process, and they stated that they are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities in strengthening the political and social groundwork. In this period when we are focusing on peace, democracy, and brotherhood for Turkey and the region, we find that divisive and prejudiced language in the media, along with the speculation it creates, complicates our work. We are aware that this process carries not only the expectations and hopes of everyone but also their concerns, sensitivities, and questions. Given this, fabricating baseless claims, circulating unfounded rumors, and creating morally questionable agendas can only amount to warmongering. With all the positive impressions we have gathered, we will make every effort to visit Mr. Öcalan again as soon as possible and work toward achieving peace through sound methods. The continued support of the public for these efforts will remain the most valuable cornerstone in building peace and finding a solution.”
• DEM Party MP and Imrali Delegation member Pervin Buldan said that the talks so far represented “a search, rather than a process.” She also claimed that Abdullah Ocalan had said that any process should be addressed within parliament and supported by legislation and legal frameworks.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “If the organization lays down its arms, disbands its cadres, and its political wing begins to act like a genuine Turkish party, then all 85 million of our people will benefit.”
• KCK Co-Chair Cemil Bayik said that Turkish authorities “have not taken any step so far” in response to Abdullah Ocalan‘s efforts. He also criticized the government for using language that “does not serve a solution.”
• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi met with U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael E. Kurilla and other U.S. military leaders to discuss “the critical role of the U.S. in achieving a permanent ceasefire in Northeast Syria,” according to a post on Abdi’s X account.

January 16, 2025

• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi met with former KRG President Masoud Barzani in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The meeting focused on efforts to unify the Kurdish position in Syria and prevent further conflict in the region, according to readouts.

January 15, 2025

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey could “crush” the YPG in Syria. He also proposed that Turkey assist the new Syrian government in managing the thousands of ISIS detainees currently held by the SDF.

January 14, 2025

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli repeated his demand that PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan dissolve his organization and declare an end to “terrorism” in Turkey. “In the alleged second meeting to be held between the DEM delegation and Imrali, it should be declared without any conditions that the organizational existence of the PKK has ended, that no result has been achieved through terrorism, and this bloody page has been closed by paying a high price,” he said.

January 13, 2025

• A trustee was appointed to the Akdeniz District Municipality in Mersin, replacing elected DEM Party mayor Hoshyar Sariyildiz. The DEM Party won the Akdeniz mayorship in March 2024 with 36.92% of the vote (47,843 votes).
• Dr. Hamid Darbandi, a representative of former KRG President Masoud Barzani, visited northeast Syria to meet with SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi and with the KNC, a group of Syrian Kurdish parties linked to Barzani’s KDP. The meetings discussed efforts to unify Syrian Kurdish parties to strengthen the Kurdish hand in negotiations with Damascus.

January 12, 2025

• Speaking in Diyarbakir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the PKK to disband and said that talks with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan were an opportunity to “end the scourge of terrorism.”

January 11, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation, along with elected DEM Party mayor of Mardin Ahmet Turk, visited former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas in prison. Demirtas expressed his “full trust and support” for the delegation, the DEM Party, and PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan. He also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and other party leaders for their engagement.

January 10, 2025

• The KCK Executive Council issued a written statement calling the DEM Party’s meeting with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan and their subsequent meetings with Turkish political parties “very positive.” In the same statement, they condemned ongoing Turkish attacks on northeast Syria.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that the new Syrian government should be given an opportunity to address the presence of the YPG.

January 7, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation, along with elected DEM Party mayor of Mardin Ahmet Turk, met delegations from the CHP, the DEVA Party, and the New Welfare Party. The CHP delegation was led by CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel. Ozel called for any peace process to be led by the Turkish Parliament and emphasized social consensus. He said that the CHP “would contribute to any steps to be taken in order to eliminate this problem that has been going on for 50 years in Turkey.” The DEVA Party delegation included DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan. Babacan said that “legitimate solution ground for Turkey’s problems is democratic politics” and expressed support for “every sincere step taken for the purpose of a solution.” The New Welfare Party delegation included New Welfare Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Syria’s new authorities should deal with the Kurdish issue, but that Turkey would not rule out a military operation against the SDF if they were unable to do so.

January 6, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation, along with elected DEM Party mayor of Mardin Ahmet Turk, met with delegations from the AKP, the Saadet Party, and the Future Party. The AKP delegation included Parliamentary Group Chairman Abdullah Guler, Spokesperson Omer Celik, Group Deputy Chair Ozlem Zengin, and Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala. The Saadet Party delegation included Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arikan.  The Future Party delegation included Future Party Chairman and former Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey “will not consent to the disintegration of Syria.” He threatened further military action in northern Syria, saying that “the only fate awaiting those who choose terror and violence is to be buried in the ground with their weapons.”

January 5, 2025

• A U.S. delegation met with the KNC to discuss Syrian Kurdish unity talks.

January 2, 2025

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation, along with elected DEM Party mayor of Mardin Ahmet Turk, met with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli. The group also met with AKP MP and Turkish Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus. DEM MP and Imrali Delegation member Sirri Sureyya Onder said that “we informed [Kurtulmus] about our meeting, listened to his suggestions and made a general assessment,” indicating that the meeting “went well.”

December 30, 2024

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation said of their meeting with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan that “we can say that we are much more hopeful compared to previous processes.”
• A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense said that the ceasefire between Turkey and the SDF between Manbij and Kobane was “still holding.”
• An SDF delegation led by SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi met with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

December 29, 2024

• The DEM Party Imrali Delegation issued a readout of their meeting with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan. The text of the statement is as follows: “On 28 December 28 2024, we held a comprehensive meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı. He is in good health, and his morale was notably high. His assessments, aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Kurdish issue, were of vital importance. During the meeting, recent developments in the Middle East and Turkey were discussed, and Mr. Öcalan proposed constructive solutions to counter the imposed scenarios of a bleak future. The main points of his thoughts and approach can be summarized as follows: – Strengthening Turkish-Kurdish fraternity anew is not only a historical responsibility but also a matter of decisive importance and urgency for all peoples. – To ensure the success of this process, it is essential for all political circles in Turkey to rise above narrow and short-term calculations, take initiative, act constructively, and contribute positively. Undoubtedly, one of the most significant platforms for such contributions will be the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). – Recent incidents in Gaza and Syria have demonstrated that the resolution of this issue, which has been aggravated by external interventions, can no longer be postponed. The contributions and proposals of the opposition are also valuable to successfully carry out efforts proportional to the gravity of this matter. – I possess the necessary competence and determination to contribute positively to the new paradigm supported by Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Erdoğan. – The delegation will convey my approach to both the state and political circles. In light of this, I am ready to take the necessary positive steps and make the required call. – All these efforts will elevate the country to the level it deserves and serve as an invaluable guide for democratic transformation.- This is an era of peace, democracy, and fraternity for Turkey and the region.”
  

December 28, 2024

• A DEM Party delegation consisting of Van MP Pervin Buldan and Istanbul MP Sirri Sureyya Onder met with Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali Prison.

December 24, 2024

• A French delegation met with the PYD and allied Kurdish parties to discuss Syrian Kurdish unity talks.

December 23, 2024

• A meeting between an SDF delegation led by Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi and a KNC delegation was held with U.S.-led Global Coalition mediation. The parties discussed Syrian Kurdish unity efforts and pledged to continue meeting.

December 22, 2024

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus to meet with the new Syrian government. He was the first foreign minister to do so. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fidan called for the YPG to disband.

December 19, 2024

• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi said that Kurdish fighters who were not Syrian citizens, including those who are members of the PKK, would leave northeast Syria if a comprehensive ceasefire was reached.
• Contradicting U.S. statements, a Turkish defense official denied reports of a ceasefire. “As Turkey, it is out of the question for us to have talks with any terrorist organisation. The (U.S.) statement must be a slip of the tongue,” the official said.

December 17, 2024

• The U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the SDF and SNA between Manbij and Kobane was extended through December 22nd.
• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi said that the SDF would accept a demilitarized zone in Kobane supervised by international forces to address Turkey’s security concerns.

December 15, 2024

• Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said that Turkey’s “primary agenda is the dissolution of the PKK/YPG” and called on the U.S. to reevalute its support for the group. ““In the new chapter, the PKK/YPG in Syria will be dissolved sooner or later,” Guler continued. “This is the aim of the Syrian administration. Terrorist members coming from outside Syria will leave the country. Those that are Syrian will leave arms.”

December 14, 2024

• U.S. troops returned to Kobane for the first time since 2019.
• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi expressed support for Kurdish unity talks in a post on X. “Kurdish national unity in Syria has become a historical necessity dictated by the challenges of the stage.
  We call on the Kurdish parties to move away from partisan interests and respond to popular calls for dialogue and unity of position. We call on everyone to interact positively with the current efforts to achieve Kurdish national unity, to reach a position that supports the Syrian dialogue and participates in building the future of a democratic and pluralistic Syria,” he wrote.

December 13, 2024

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that non-Syrian members of the PKK and Syrian Kurds in YPG’s command structures must leave Syria and that other YPG fighters must disarm.

December 12, 2024

• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi announced that the SDF were de-conflicting with HTS and that they hoped to send a delegation to Damascus to meet with the country’s new authorities.
• Kurdish sources told North Press Agency that U.S. and French delegations had been meeting with the KNC and PYD to discuss renewed Syrian Kurdish unity talks after the fall of the Assad regime.

December 11, 2024

• The SDF announced a retreat from Manbij as part of a ceasefire brokered by the United States intended to freeze the conflict between the SDF and the Turkey-backed SNA along the Euphrates River between Manbij and Kobane. The Turkey-backed SNA took control of Manbij.

December 10, 2024

• U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael E. Kurilla met with the SDF in Syria, the first U.S. meeting with Syrian Kurdish leaders since the fall of Assad.

December 9, 2024

• The KCK Executive Council issued a written statement congratulating the people of Syria on the fall of the Assad regime. They said that “the collapse of the Baathist regime has once again proved what kind of an end the monist nation-state system will face,” and said that the “democratic nation” model is the best solution for Syria.

December 8, 2024

• The Assad regime collapsed after HTS and other rebel groups entered Damascus.
• Syrian Kurdish leaders responded with positive messages. ​​We are living through historic moments in Syria as we witness the fall of the authoritarian regime in Damascus. This change is an opportunity to build a new Syria based on democracy and justice that guarantees the rights of all Syrians,” wrote SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi in a post on his X account. “The era of tyranny is over. Today, we turn the page on the past and open the door of hope to unify the efforts of Syrians towards a better future based on justice and democracy. Let us stop the shooting and make dialogue the basis of peace and rebuilding,” DAANES Foreign Minister Ilham Ahmed wrote, also in a post on X.
• The DEM Party Foreign Affairs Commission issued a statement calling for “a transitional administration formed by the legitimate representatives of the Kurds, Sunni Arabs, Arab Alawites, Christians, Druze communities and all other minorities.”

December 5, 2024

• PYD Co-Chair Salih Muslim said “I am optimistic about [HTS]. They’re also Syrians. They should uphold the diversity of Syria,” suggesting openness to negotiating with HTS.

December 2, 2024

• Separate from HTS’ operations against the regime, Turkey-backed SNA factions took control of Shahba and Tal Rifaat from the SDF, displacing tens of thousands of predominantly Kurdish civilians.

November 30, 2024

• HTS took control of Aleppo city. The Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah remained in the control of the YPG.

November 27, 2024

• HTS launched “Operation Deterring Aggression,” targeting the Syrian regime in northwestern Syria.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “they’re meeting” when asked about possible meetings between PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan and the DEM Party.

November 26, 2024

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said “We expect face-to-face dialogue between Imrali [the prison island where PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan is held] and the DEM Group to take place without delay and repeat our call with determination. In response, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakirhan and Tulay Hatimogullari applied to the Turkish Ministry of Justice to request a meeting.
• DAANES Foreign Minister Ilham Ahmed said Syrian Kurds were “cautiously optimistic” about talks between Ocalan and the Turkish government. “The situation here in Rojava is very important for the resumption of any kind of negotiations to do with the Kurdish peace process,” she pointed out.

November 22, 2024

• A trustee was appointed to Dersim (Tunceli) Center District Municipality, replacing elected DEM Party mayor Cevdet Konak.
• Former KRG President Masoud Barzani said “we are pleased to see discussions about a renewed peace process in Turkey.”

November 21, 2024

• Turkish authorities informed the Asrin Law Office, which represents PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, that a six-month legal visit ban had been imposed on their client on November 6th.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that “‘If the people there [Kurds in Syria] have good intentions, they know their homework towards Turkey,” suggesting some level of dialogue between Turkey and the SDF and DAANES.

November 15, 2024

• KCK Executive Council Member Mustafa Karasu said “there is no intention or desire for such a solution on the side of the state.” He said that the meeting between DEM MP Omer Ocalan and PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan did not mean an end to the “isolation” of Abdullah Ocalan, and that the TAI attack “has no connection to the current discussions” on the Kurdish issue.

November 9, 2024

• KCK Co-Chair Cemil Bayik said that PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan’s “isolation” was ongoing. To begin negotiations, he said, Turkey must “start by lifting the absolute isolation of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Ocalan],” “end the Imrali system,” “ensure Rêber Apo’s health and safety and create the conditions for a free life and work.” He added that “if steps are taken for Rêber Apo to play his role, then he will solve the Kurdish question, and we and our people will follow whatever he develops.”

November 6, 2024

• KCK Co-Chair Bese Hozat said that the meeting between DEM MP Omer Ocalan and PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan “in no way means that the isolation has been overcome,” adding that “there is no solution process, as they say.”

November 5, 2024

• The KCK Executive Council condemned trustee appointments in Esenyurt, Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti in a written statement. The statement claimed that “the AKP-MHP government has neither an intention nor a plan for peace, brotherhood, and solution,” and called on Kurds to mobilize “until the usurpation of their will is ended and the municipalities are returned to the people.”
• Speaking in the Turkish Parliament, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said, “If the terrorist PKK’s leader is going to declare the end of terrorism, he should stand before the DEM Group. I stand behind my words and insist on my offer,” he said.

November 4, 2024

• Trustees were appointed to the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, Batman Center District Municipality, and Halfeti District Municipality, replacing elected DEM Party mayors Ahmet Turk, Gulistan Sonuk and Mehmet Karayilan. The DEM Party condemned the trustee appointments. In a written statement, the party said that the appointments “undermine any pursuit of dialogue and reconciliation.”

October 31, 2024

• A trustee was appointed to the Esenyurt District Municipality to replace democratically elected CHP mayor Ahmet Ozer. The appointment was met with protests by CHP and DEM Party supporters.

October 30, 2024

• PKK Executive Committee member Duran Kalkan commented on PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan’s meeting with DEM MP Omer Ocalan. He said that “even if partially and not completely, there is a change,” while warning that “the current situation does not inspire much confidence…the conditions for Rêber Apo’s health, safety and freedom of work must be ensured.” Kalkan also said of the TAI attack that “the action has no connection to the current processes. That is the truth. Nobody has issued an order that this action is to be carried out at that particular time,” he said.
• DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakirhan said that his party had engaged in talks with the Justice Ministry “regarding the removal of the isolation of Ocalan.”
• CHP Esenyurt District Mayor Ahmet Ozer was arrested on terrorism charges. Ozer, who is Kurdish, was chosen as a candidate by an agreement between the DEM Party and the CHP. Both the CHP and the DEM Party condemned the arrest.

October 29, 2024

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said that “The Republic of Turkey does not and will never have a Kurdish problem. The Republic of Turkey does not have an ethnic or sectarian dilemma.”

October 27, 2024

• SDF Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi said that the SDF and DAANES “wholeheartedly support a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish problem in Turkey” but that “if the elimination of our status here in northeastern Syria is the object of any peace talks, they will fail.”
• The DAANES claimed that Turkish strikes since October 23rd had targeted over 1,000 sites, killing 17 people, injuring 65, and damaging critical infrastructure.

October 26, 2024

• Turkey continued to strike targets in northeastern Syria.
• KCK Executive Council Member Zubeyir Aydar said that the TAI attack had nothing to do with renewed negotiations. He called for a “mutual and sincere” ceasefire between the government of Turkey and the PKK’s armed wing, noting that this step had been taken successfully in 2013.

October 25, 2024

• Turkey continued to strike targets in northeast Syria.
• The HPG, the armed wing of the PKK, claimed responsibility for the attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries, two days after it occurred. They emphasized that “this action has no relationship to the political agenda of the past month that has been discussed in Turkey.”
• Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek expressed support for Bahceli’s initiative and said that ““What is right for the country is to continue to boost fundamental rights and freedoms, enhance standards of democracy…I am optimistic that such an outreach, such a call for reconciliation won’t be left in the cold.”

October 24, 2024

• Turkey continued to strike targets in northeast Syria.
• DEM Party MP Omer Ocalan released a statement on his X account following his meeting with PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan: “I met with Mr. Öcalan at İmralı Island Prison on October 23. This visit was held within the scope of a family meeting. Mr. Öcalan made evaluations regarding general political developments during the meeting and requested that the following message be conveyed to the public: “The isolation continues. If the conditions are right, I have the theoretical and practical power to pull this process from the ground of conflict and violence to the ground of law and politics.” He was in good health and sent greetings to everyone.”
• DEM Party spokesperson Aysegul Dogan condemned the TAI attack and Turkey’s retaliatory strikes in northeast Syria in a press conference. She urged the government to respond to Abdullah Ocalan’s statement, saying “Mr. Ocalan and democratic politics are ready for a solution [to the Kurdish question]. Is the state ready?”
• The KCK Executive Council issued a written statement acknowledging Abdullah Ocalan‘s meeting with Omer Ocalan and affirming that “Our movement, with all its parts, structures, and organizations, will act according to the process that Rêber Apo [Abdullah Ocalan] will develop.” They also stressed that the Ankara attack “has absolutely nothing to do with the process being developed.”

October 23, 2024

• DEM Party MP Omer Ocalan, who is PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan’s nephew, met with Abdullah Ocalan in prison.
• The Peoples’ Defense Units (HPG), the armed wing of the PKK, carried out an attack on the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries. The group did not immediately claim the attack. This company manufactures the armed drones Turkey has used in its war against Kurdish militants and civilian populations both within and beyond its borders. In response, Turkey began a campaign of airstrikes in Iraqi Kurdistan, Sinjar, and North and East Syria.
• The DEM Party condemned the attack, stating that “We find it meaningful that such an attack has taken place in these days when Turkish society is discussing solutions and the possibility of dialogue is emerging. We are deeply saddened by this attack and share the pain experienced. We must protect peace more than ever so that these painful events do not happen again.” Imprisoned former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas also condemned the attack in a post on X. “The mentality that tries to bloodily cut off the search for solutions to our problems through talk, dialogue and politics should know that if Öcalan takes the initiative and wants to pave the way for politics, we will be behind him with all our might. We will not accept any approach that aims to discredit democratic politics and peace quests and render them willless. Everyone should do their math accordingly. We will never allow the voices of those who want peace to be suppressed this time, regardless of who it comes from,” he wrote.
• PKK leaders expressed skepticism about MHP leader Devlet Bahceli‘s outreach to Abdullah Ocalan. HPG Commander Murat Karayilan said the group was not against a political solution and would not reject one, but that “after all this experience, we will not give credit to perception-building policies within the scope of ordinary psychological warfare tactics.” Karayilan warned that peace efforts that did not center on the freedom of PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan were “null and void” and suggested that Bahceli’s statements meant that the state tacitly accepted Ocalan as an interlocutor. Meanwhile, PKK Central Committee Member Helin Umit called Bahceli’s remarks “another psychological warfare game” and said that “it would be a mistake to expect very good results from this initiative.”

October 22, 2022

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli repeated his call for PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan to declare an end to “terrorism” in Turkey. “Let the terrorist leader … unilaterally declare that terrorism is over and that his organization has been dissolved…If the terrorist leader’s isolation is lifted, let him come and speak at the DEM’s meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. If he shows this determination, let the path for regulation toward the right to hope [potential release after serving 25 years of his life sentence] be opened,” he said.
• In response, DEM Party Co-Chair Tulay Hatimogullari said, “If there is to be a beginning, the isolation must be lifted immediately. We are ready to take the initiative for an honorable peace.”

October 21, 2024

• CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel visited imprisoned former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas in prison. Demirtas issued a readout of the meeting via his X account. He emphasized that “the solution to the problems in Turkey is politics, and the institution for the solution is the Turkish Grand National Assembly.” Ozel also emphasized the importance of parliamentary participation in peace talks. “What really matters is that the right step is taken together for the interests of Turkey. The Republican People’s Party will not prevent this,” he said.

October 19, 2024

• The DEM Party Central Executive Committee met to discuss recent political developments. DEM Party Spokesperson Aysegul Dogan provided a readout. Dogan said that developments in Turkey could not be described as a new çözüm süreci (‘solution process,’ the term used for the failed 2013-2015 negotiations). She emphasized that DEM was committed to a political solution to the Kurdish question and ready to play a role in any dialogue. She also demanded an end to the visit and communication ban on PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, emphasizing his role as an interlocutor.

October 17, 2024

• DEM Party Co-Chairs Tulay Hatimogullari and Tuncer Bakirhan visited imprisoned former HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, who were arrested in 2016 on charges largely related to their political activities during the 2013-2015 peace process. The DEM Party issued the following statement on the meeting: “Our friends in prison said that they found the policy pursued by our party positive and supported it. They confirmed that both they and other political prisoners are ready to make every kind of contribution for an honorable peace. They stated that no steps have been taken regarding the process yet and that concrete steps need to be taken in this regard. They particularly stated that the most important and primary way to start this process is to lift the isolation [of Abdullah Ocalan] in Imrali [the high-security island prison where Ocalan is held]. Therefore, they said that isolation should be considered as an important agenda. They called on everyone who can contribute to an honorable peace to contribute as well.”

October 16, 2024

• KRG President Nechirvan Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara.
• KCK Executive Council Member Mustafa Karasu said that “there was no real resolution process between 2007 and 2015,” but that “we and the Kurdish democratic movement always say that we are in favor of a democratic solution.” He described several conditions that would have to change for there to be a “sincere intention to solve the Kurdish problem:” “The law is being violated in Imrali, heavy isolation is being applied, the dungeons have become death houses, thousands of politicians are inside, and there are arrests and pressures on Kurdish culture every day.”

October 15, 2024

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said that PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan should “declare an end to terrorism.”
• In response, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakirhan said, “Then lift the isolation, let’s see what Mr. Öcalan says.”

October 13, 2024

• The DEM Party held a rally in Diyarbakir demanding freedom for PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan and a return to peace negotiations. Police detained demonstrators and blocked others from attending.
• HPG Commander Murat Karayilan addressed rumors of a new peace process. “The greeting given to the DEM Party should not be attributed that much meaning, it should not be exaggerated. Some people even say, “I wonder if a new process will begin?” There is no such thing. No one should have such dreams. They are still killing Kurds every day and settling down; there is a war, there is isolation on Leader Apo. Therefore, there is no such thing,” he said.

October 12, 2024

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed MHP leader Devlet Bahceli’s statements and suggested that a new constitution might be part of the solution: “We find Mr. Bahceli’s attitude positive and meaningful for our country’s struggle for democracy. We hope that the number of those who take these steps will increase in the future. As the number of those who take these steps increases, we hope that we can expand the base of social consensus on the new constitution…We are always ready to resolve issues through non-terrorist methods. Because we do politics to strengthen the peace and unity of our country and to provide our nation with the quality services it deserves. This is also why we call for a new constitution. [We need] to make an inclusive, fair, civilian, and libertarian constitution.”

October 10, 2024

• Journalist Amberin Zaman reported for Al-Monitor that Turkish officials had been meeting with imprisoned PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, the first public reporting on renewed Turkey-PKK talks.

October 8, 2024

• KCK Co-Chair Bese Hozat addressed MHP leader Devlet Bahceli’s outreach to the DEM Party in an interview, the first such comment from the armed Kurdish movement. She said called the handshake “a new game” intended at countering Turkey’s opposition and said that, if Bahceli is serious about peace, “he should take [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and [CHP Chairman] Ozgur Ozel and go to Imrali with them. They should sit down with Rêber Apo [PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan]. They should talk about the Kurdish question together, negotiate, and work out a joint democratic solution.”

October 1, 2024

• MHP leader Devlet Bahceli shook hands with DEM Party leaders in the Turkish Parliament. He invited DEM to become a “party of Turkey” and said that “we need to ensure peace in our own country.”

April 2024

• Alleged beginning of talks between the government of Turkey and imprisoned PKK founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, per Al Monitor reporting in November 2024 and January 2025.

Photo taken by author on November 16, 2024.