Kurdish families commemorate fallen fighters as Turkey launches peace initiative

A recent Turkish law designed to disarm and reintegrate former PKK members has led officials to publish lists of individuals labeled as martyrs to the Kurdish cause. Families like Menal Konak, whose brother died in 2020 after joining the PKK in Syria, only learned of his death weeks ago. In the absence of traditional funerals, community-organized remembrance sites have sprung up in districts such as Kucukcekmece, where relatives gather to display photographs, videos and Kurdish peace symbols.

NGOs, notably Mebya Der, have facilitated the creation of these venues, honoring multiple fallen fighters. Participants view the gatherings as symbolic closure and a sign that the peace process, launched by Turkish authorities at the end of 2024, is moving forward. Critics, including former pro-Kurdish MP Sebahat Tuncel, warn that the law addresses only disarmament and that broader resolution of the Kurdish issue remains distant.