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DEM Party lawmakers aim to sabotage SDF disarmament goal: Turkish columnist

The photo shows the terrorist group PKKs ringleader, Abdullah Ocalan, reading his letter with DEM Party figures. (Collage prepared by Türkiye Today staffer)
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The photo shows the terrorist group PKKs ringleader, Abdullah Ocalan, reading his letter with DEM Party figures. (Collage prepared by Türkiye Today staffer)
December 09, 2025 12:36 PM GMT+03:00

Prominent pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi harshly criticized the terrorist group PKK's executive Bese Hozat and Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MP Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, accusing them of sabotaging the "terror-free Türkiye" process.

The process, initiated by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli in October 2024, has entered a critical phase amid debates over whether the initiative has reached a deadlock.

Despite PKK ringleader Abdullah Ocalan's call for disarmament and dissolution in February 2025 and a subsequent memorandum signed between the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government in Syria and the SDF in March 2025, progress has stalled.

The PKK has not completed the disarmament process, and the SDF has failed to fulfill the terms of the agreement.

Recent statements by Hozat and Kocyigit, who visited Ocalan recently, have drawn sharp reactions from the government wing.

DEM Party lawmakers hold a press conference titled "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" in a hotel in Istanbul after meeting with Ocalan on Imrali Island on Feb. 27, 2025 (AA Photo)
DEM Party lawmakers hold a press conference titled "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" in a hotel in Istanbul after meeting with Ocalan on Imrali Island on Feb. 27, 2025 (AA Photo)

"Do you think Türkiye will allow you to establish Israel's second satellite state?" Hurriyet columnist Selvi wrote.

"This country offers you the opportunity to engage in democratic politics instead of being terrorists in the mountains. Ocalan makes calls in this direction. Were you not Ocalan supporters? The international conjecture has changed. Türkiye is a rising power."

Selvi claimed that if the SDF resists integration into the Syrian army, the button will be pressed for a cross-border military operation in the first months of 2026.

He noted that the Turkish Armed Forces would support the operation to be conducted by the Syrian army.

SDF head Mazloum Abdi (L) and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan (R).
SDF head Mazloum Abdi (L) and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan (R).

'Coup mechanics' controversy

The debate intensified following comments by DEM Party MP Kocyigit, who met with Ocalan on Imrali Island. She stated that Ocalan's disarmament call did not cover the SDF.

Selvi accused Kocyigit of "going to Imrali to put dynamite at the bottom of this process," adding that she was making an extraordinary effort to prevent the YPG from laying down arms.

No amnesty promised

Meanwhile, PKK leader Hozat's remarks that "PKK cadres do not want amnesty; we did not commit crimes" drew a furious response from MHP leader Devlet Bahceli.

"There is no one promising amnesty anyway," Bahceli said.

"The crimes committed are clear, distinct, and documented before history and conscience. Don't make us speak strictly; everyone should know their limits. Nothing can be achieved with messages full of threatening tones."

Where are we in the process?

The Turkish parliamentary delegation had visited Imrali Island on Nov. 24 to meet with imprisoned PKK terror group ringleader Abdullah Ocalan in what marks the latest step in the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” peace initiative.

The lawmakers took statements from Ocalan regarding the PKK’s declared disarmament, the March 10 Syria agreement, and the integration of the YPG-led SDF into the Damascus system.

The visit took place after MHP leader Bahceli's public call, urging the parliamentary delegation to visit the island to accelerate the peace process.

December 09, 2025 12:41 PM GMT+03:00
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