Prospects for Regional Peace in Lebanon, Gaza, and Türkiye
Middle East Council on Global Affairs مجلس الشرق الأوسط للشؤون الدولية
With a ceasefire underway in Lebanon (despite yesterday’s brutal Israeli bombardments in Beirut), some in the region are hopeful that the year could end on a peaceful note. Expect more on that from us next week.
Meanwhile, in Türkiye, nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli recently raised eyebrows when he called for parole to be granted for the incarcerated leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan. Bahçeli’s call was backed by President Erdoğan, even though Kurdish politicians throughout the country have been facing a clamp-down this year. Nonetheless, the question of whether Türkiye should rethink its approach to the Kurdish question has returned to the forefront of national discourse. Visiting fellow Ozge Genc , in her latest policy note, sees the renewal of the Kurdish peace process as an opportunity for Türkiye to embrace cooperative regional security.
As for Gaza, any prospect for a cessation of hostilities seems distant, largely due to constantly changing Israeli demands, but also due to a fragmented Palestinian political landscape. In his latest Afkār article, editor and fellow Omar H. Rahman argues that “for Palestinians to confront the existential challenges they now face, reviving a unified, representative leadership is paramount.”
Read more on these topics
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), recently made a groundbreaking call to invite Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to address Türkiye’s parliament. This move marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to the 40-year conflict.
By Ozge Genc
November 26, 2024
Rudderless, disorganized and unable to effectively respond to the greatest crisis since 1948, Palestinians desperately need to restore a unified national leadership.
November 21, 2024
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