President Masoud Barzani Mourns Death of Prominent Turkish Politician Sırrı Süreyya Önder
“Önder was a prominent member of the Imrali delegation and spent a significant part of his life advocating for peaceful solutions to the Kurdish issue in Turkey,” Barzani said. “His efforts earned him great respect among peace-seeking circles.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — President Masoud Barzani on Saturday extended his condolences over the passing of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a renowned Turkish politician, peace advocate, and former deputy speaker of the Turkish parliament.
In an official statement, Barzani expressed deep sorrow upon receiving the news of Önder’s death, describing him as a “respected political and cultural figure” who devoted much of his life to political struggle and peace efforts in Turkey.
“Önder was a prominent member of the Imrali delegation and spent a significant part of his life advocating for peaceful solutions to the Kurdish issue in Turkey,” Barzani said. “His efforts earned him great respect among peace-seeking circles.”
Barzani conveyed his condolences to Önder’s family, friends, fellow activists, and members and supporters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the left-wing pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey with which Önder was long affiliated.
“I consider myself a partner in their grief,” Barzani noted. “May the Almighty grant him eternal peace in paradise and give patience and comfort to all who mourn his loss.”
The statement concluded with a traditional Islamic expression of mourning: “Indeed, we belong to God, and indeed to Him we will return.”
Önder, a prominent figure in Turkish politics and a key advocate of Kurdish rights, passed away at the age of 63 on Saturday. Turkish media reported that Önder, who was being treated at Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul following a sudden heart attack on April 15, died at 4:10 PM due to multiple organ failure. Despite undergoing surgery and intensive medical care, he experienced two cardiac arrests and could not recover. The hospital issued a statement confirming his death after 18 days of hospitalization.
Born in 1962 in the Kurdish-majority province of Adıyaman (Semsur), southeastern Turkey, Önder studied political science at Ankara University and continued his activism through journalism, filmmaking, and screenwriting. He gained political prominence as a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), representing Istanbul in the Turkish parliament following the 2023 elections. Önder served as Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Parliament and led the HDP parliamentary group.
He played a pivotal role during the 2013–2015 peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and was again involved in efforts to rekindle the process in recent years. His political and artistic legacy made him a multifaceted figure widely respected across ideological and ethnic divides.
