Suspension of main opposition leadership targets Turkey-PKK peace process: Mediating party

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The pro-Kurdish party mediating peace talks between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government said Thursday that an appeal court’s ruling to suspend the leadership of the country’s main opposition party is aimed at undermining the ongoing peace process.

An appeals court in Ankara on Thursday ruled to suspend the current administration of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and reinstate the former one over a case concerning the legality of the party’s 2023 congress, which resulted in a leadership change.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which maintains good ties with the CHP and has enjoyed relatively cooperative relations with Ankara since it began mediating talks between the Turkish state and the PKK late 2024, said the legal move against the CHP risks damaging the fragile process.

"At this historical moment, when efforts to ensure social peace have intensified and there are opportunities to truly reconcile the state and the Republic with democracy, the absolute nullity ruling will only deepen distrust in the Peace and Democratic Society Process. Practices that increase polarization in society and damage internal peace further deepen the crisis of confidence," DEM Party said in a statement.

The DEM Party refers to the renewed initiative as the “Peace and Democratic Society Process,” while Ankara has branded it “terror-free Turkey.”

"This decision, taken at a time when we are on the verge of legal reforms, is effectively a step aimed at overshadowing the Peace and Democratic Society Process," the party added.

The ruling marks a major escalation in a months-long legal dispute surrounding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held in November 2023, in which Ozgur Ozel defeated longtime leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu after more than a dozen years at the helm of the party. Critics of the congress alleged procedural irregularities and vote-buying, claims repeatedly denied by Ozel’s camp.

The PKK announced in May last year that it would dissolve itself and lay down arms following a call by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. The group has since taken several steps, including withdrawing from some frontlines, but has accused Ankara of failing to reciprocate with meaningful measures.

A parliamentary commission that has held meetings with relevant authorities and figures, including Ocalan, submitted a report to parliament earlier this year. Turkish lawmakers are expected to debate legal arrangements related to the process, including possible amnesty provisions for PKK fighters.

However, the PKK recently accused Ankara of effectively freezing the process by failing to take concrete steps and restricting meetings with Ocalan.

Thursday’s court ruling sparked outrage among supporters of Ozel, whose administration called on party members to gather at CHP headquarters in Ankara in a show of solidarity.

The CHP said it would not recognize what it described as an “unlawful” ruling, accusing the judiciary of acting under the influence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was defeated by Ozel during the 2023 congress and reinstated by the court, welcomed the ruling and urged supporters to remain calm.

"The court’s ruling regarding our 38th Ordinary Congress should not become a cause for division, but rather an opportunity to unite under the shade of our century-old plane tree," he said. "No one should worry. We will lead our party through these debates and continue our march toward power."

In a late speech to supporters at the party headquarters, Ozel said they will appeal the ruling at the top appeals court and file a lawsuit at the electoral body. 

“We expect our applications to be handled in the most urgent and fastest manner, and for the YSK [Supreme Election Council] to fulfill the responsibilities uniquely defined for itself,” he said.