Imralı, Syria, and the Future of Kurds in Turkey: Bakırhan Maps the Entire Equation

In this exclusive interview for The Amargi, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan speaks with İrfan Aktan about the current phase of Turkey’s year-long peace process and the political, legal, and regional dynamics shaping it. The discussion covers:

• The work of the parliamentary commission and its visit to Imralı to meet Abdullah Öcalan

• Expectations for a “special law” on disarmament and reintegration

• Public hesitation, legal uncertainty, and the need for concrete democratic steps

• ECHR rulings, the Demirtaş case, and the ongoing debate over trustees

• How Kurds and Turks understand the process differently, and where concerns overlap

• The political stance of the CHP and the broader opposition

• The role of Rojava, Ankara’s approach to Northeast Syria, and the implications of refusing engagement with Ilham Ahmed

• Turkey–PYD relations and the international dimension

• Risks if the process slows or fails, lessons from past breakdowns, and the Kurdish movement’s long-term approach

• How Kurds view regional powers and the debates around alleged alignments

• What a democratic resolution could look like, and which issues remain unresolved

This interview offers rare insight into Turkey’s most consequential political question: Is there a path to a sustainable peace?