Turkish Nationalist Leader Urges PKK Founder to Call for SDF Disarmament

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a statement that reignited political debate over Turkey’s Kurdish question and its regional implications, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called on PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, to issue a new and direct appeal to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to lay down arms.

Speaking on Tuesday, during his party’s first parliamentary group meeting of the new legislative year in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), Bahçeli urged for “decisive national dialogue” aimed at achieving what he described as “a Terror-Free Turkey.”

“If Necessary, Send a Delegation to İmralı”

Bahçeli emphasized that the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, established within the parliament, is already operating actively and holding consultations across society. He proposed that “if necessary, a group from this commission should visit İmralı to receive messages firsthand.”

“There must be a broad and realistic platform of consensus and negotiation to ensure the political and legal arrangements that are needed,” Bahçeli said. “Everyone who is directly or indirectly involved in the matter has something to say. These opinions should be heard to determine the safest and most accurate course forward. From what we see and hear, this approach is already being followed, and I thank all members of the commission for their efforts.”

He continued, “Our Kurdish brothers have no link whatsoever with terrorism. Anyone who was deceived or misled for various reasons but has not committed crimes or taken up arms should return and reunite with their families. Where there are weapons, there is no politics. If politics are to exist, all weapons must be burned. We cannot afford to lose or waste a single one of our citizens.”

Highlighting the PKK’s earlier disarmament, Bahçeli stated, “I must speak plainly: the founding leadership of the PKK has already taken responsibility. Following the February 27 ‘Peace and Democratic Society Call,’ the PKK laid down its arms on May 12 and dissolved its organizational presence. On July 11, a group of PKK members burned their weapons. However, the SDF and YPG, who hold influence in northeastern Syria, have not yet disarmed nor complied with the February 27 İmralı appeal.”

Bahçeli asserted that the İmralı message had encompassed all factions of the “separatist terror network,” not just the PKK. “Our expectation,” he said, “is that the PKK’s founding leadership should issue a direct and identical call to the SDF/YPG, urging them to comply with the March 10 Agreement signed with the Damascus administration.”

He expressed concern that the exclusion of Raqqa, Hasakah, and Suwayda from Syria’s recent People’s Assembly elections contradicted the spirit of the March 10 Damascus Agreement, which had been intended to promote democratic stability and establish a new political mechanism in post-Assad Syria.

“Should the need arise, members of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission should visit İmralı, engage in face-to-face talks, and deliver messages directly to the public,” Bahçeli added, stressing that there was “nothing to fear” in doing so.

Reiterating his full support for the February 27 statement from İmralı, Bahçeli called for its revision and expansion to address current dynamics. “Updating and detailing that declaration,” he said, “will open the way for positive developments. ‘A Terror-Free Turkey is a Strong and Secure Turkey.’”

Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani is set to make an official visit to Turkey on Wednesday, October 8, amid renewed political activity surrounding the implementation of the March 10 Agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

According to a statement released by Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, al-Shibani will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara to discuss bilateral relations and the ongoing situation in Syria. The visit comes just one day after reports from Damascus confirmed the conclusion of a pivotal meeting between representatives of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the Syrian Interim Government.

The Damascus meeting, held earlier this day, lasted several hours behind closed doors and focused on the implementation of the March 10 Damascus–SDF Agreement as well as the deteriorating security conditions in Aleppo.

According to outlets close to DAANES, the talks brought together senior figures from both sides, including Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the SDF; Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Department; and Rohilat Afrin, Commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ). The Syrian Interim Government delegation was led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.

This was the first direct meeting between Abdi and Sharaa since July and was described by participants as “crucial” to maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Aleppo after days of deadly clashes.

The March 10 Agreement remains a cornerstone framework for political reintegration, designed to incorporate the Kurdish-led SDF structures into Syrian state institutions while guaranteeing constitutional equality and citizenship rights for the Kurdish people.

The talks occurred just after renewed violence in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, where government forces carried out heavy bombardments and drone attacks. Syrian state television confirmed a temporary ceasefire, but local media, including ANHA, reported severe destruction, including the targeting of the Resistance Stadium, which resulted in one civilian death and sixty injuries.

Medical teams at Martyr Khaled Fajr Hospital recorded twenty of the injured but were unable to document all casualties due to chaos and ongoing shelling. Kurdish officials denied any provocation from their forces, accusing pro-Damascus militias of attempting to impose a siege on the Kurdish-controlled areas.

Aleppo, once Syria’s industrial capital, remains fractured between Damascus-aligned Islamist groups and Kurdish-led forces. Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, the city has been marked by fragile coexistence and recurring outbreaks of violence.

The United States continues to act as a key mediator, sustaining the March 10 framework and encouraging dialogue between the SDF and Syrian leadership. The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump has maintained that its goal in Syria is to contain extremism, support Kurdish partners, and foster inclusive political solutions that preserve territorial integrity.

Asaad al-Shibani’s visit to Ankara is expected to draw significant attention, given the delicate intersection of Turkey’s domestic discourse—reflected in Bahçeli’s latest remarks—and Syria’s post-conflict political realignment.

While Bahçeli’s call for a renewed İmralı dialogue marks a striking return to themes of reconciliation, it also signals Ankara’s potential interest in shaping the evolving Syrian-Kurdish political order emerging from Damascus.