HAKKARI: In southeast Turkey, where decades of conflict between the army and Kurdish militants have left deep scars, optimism about the ongoing peace process remains scarce.
Despite a high-profile ceremony in Iraq where PKK rebels destroyed their weapons, locals in Hakkari, a Kurdish-majority town near the Iraqi border, express little faith in a lasting resolution.
Undercover police patrol the streets, discouraging open discussion. One resident, hesitant to speak on camera, voiced common fears.
“We don’t talk about it because we never know what will happen tomorrow,“ he said. “We can say something now and tomorrow be punished for it.”
The conflict has claimed over 50,000 civilian and 2,000 military lives, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
While he declared victory following the PKK’s symbolic disarmament, skepticism lingers among Kurdish communities.
Mehmet Duman, a 26-year-old restaurant worker, recounted years of discrimination. “They segregated us, beat us, simply because we’re Kurdish,“ he said.
“If the state wants a future for Turkey, they must stop all this.”
Despite the peace initiative, Erdogan’s government continues targeting opposition figures and media.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a potential presidential candidate, and other CHP officials face corruption charges they deny.
Opposition outlets like Sozcu TV have been repeatedly fined and suspended.
Political analyst Berk Esen warns that while disarmament could bring peace, Turkey’s growing authoritarianism suggests otherwise.
“The disarmament of a terrorist organization should lead to democratization, but it probably won’t,“ he said.
Erdogan, however, remains confident. “Everything we are doing is for Turkey, for our future,“ he stated. Yet for many in Hakkari, trust in the process remains fragile. - AFP
