A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
Turkey-Kurdish Peace Talks: Regional Implications and US Policy
A nation must think before it acts.
Turkey-Kurdish Peace Talks: Regional Implications and US Policy
April 17, 2025 | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | National Security Program
About the Event
The Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are once again pursuing peace after the collapse of previous negotiations (2009–2015). As part of this effort, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has called for the group’s disarmament and dissolution, reportedly in exchange for legal democratic reforms inside Turkey.
A successful agreement could mark the end of a decades-long insurgency, but regardless of the outcome, these talks carry major implications for Turkey’s internal stability, regional security (especially in Syria and Iraq), and Ankara’s role as a key US ally.
Join Gönül Tol, Director, Turkey Program, Middle East Institute and Giran Ozcan, Executive Director, Kurdish Peace Institute in a discussion hosted by the Foreign Policy Research Institute on what this renewed process means for the region and US policy.
The event will be moderated by Mohammed A. Salih, Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the National Security Program at FPRI.
FPRI is happy to provide this event free of charge thanks to the generous support of our members, partners, and event attendees. If you are not currently a member, the suggested donation is $25.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our events coordinator, Christine Datesman at cdatesman@fpri.org
Speakers
Gönül Tol - Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey program and a senior fellow for the Frontier Europe Initiative. She is the author of "Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria." ; Host
Mohammed A. Salih - Mohammed A. Salih is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's National Security Program and a researcher and journalist based in Virginia, United States. He holds a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and has written for nearly two decades on Middle Eastern affairs for international news outlets, think tanks, and academic journals. ; Moderator
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