Calls for Unity Against Foreign Threats

In a dramatic political shift, Turkey has elevated the “Kurdish issue” to a top national priority, signaling renewed focus on unity and security amid escalating foreign pressures. Following Turkey’s recent pivot away from BRICS at a Shanghai summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his nationalist ally, Devlet Bahçeli, are calling for solidarity in the face of deepening regional tensions — with Bahçeli even inviting the imprisoned leader of a Kurdish militant group to address Parliament in an unexpected appeal for peace.

Bahçeli’s invitation to the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was striking, especially given his reputation for uncompromising views. “The call for peace should extend to all,” he declared, after a consultation with President Erdoğan, whose gratitude to Bahçeli’s Nationalist Movement Party was clear in his address to Parliament on October 30. Erdoğan took the opportunity to appeal to Kurdish citizens directly, framing the Turkish state as a protector for all its people.

“My dear Kurdish brothers, I want you to grasp this extended hand,” Erdoğan said, his words aimed at a broad coalition. “The state should be for everyone, embracing all equally,” he continued, emphasizing his hope for a united front.

While Erdoğan’s appeal surprised many, the pro-Kurdish Democracy Party leader, Tuncer Bakırhan, added cautious support for the government’s stance. “Positive steps toward unity,” he called it. Yet the reappearance of the “Kurdish issue” on Turkey’s political stage, nearly a decade after similar discussions were shelved, raises a compelling question: Why now?

The answer may lie across the border, in Syria. Turkey’s relationship with Russia, already tense, has strained further as Moscow doubles down on its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While Erdoğan has made repeated overtures to Damascus, Assad remains unyielding, demanding a full Turkish military withdrawal from northern Syria — a condition Erdoğan considers non-negotiable given the potential security risks it poses. At the same time, Russia has persistently called for Turkey to dismantle jihadist groups entrenched in Idlib since 2018. Yet Erdoğan’s government has refrained from acting, wary that a destabilized Idlib could see waves of fighters pushing into Turkey, creating a new security crisis.

Further complicating Turkey’s position, Assad demands Turkish forces vacate the Kurdish-controlled regions they secured in 2016, following a military operation aimed at curtailing PKK activity. Turkey’s insistence on maintaining a military presence has been a sticking point, especially as Russia and the United States maneuver within Syria’s borders, allegedly supporting Kurdish forces there. With rumors of a Kurdish administrative framework emerging in Syria’s northeast, Ankara faces renewed pressure to secure stability at home by focusing on its Kurdish population and appeasing nationalist allies.

The strains between Turkey and Russia extend beyond Syria. The Kremlin’s frustration is fueled by Turkey’s repatriation of five Azov commanders to Ukraine last July, a move Moscow viewed as a breach of agreement. Additionally, Turkey’s decision to reject the Russian ruble for bilateral trade has strained financial ties. Analysts close to recent Erdoğan-Putin meetings report that Moscow raised these issues as points of contention, underscoring the larger rift between the two countries. The likelihood of Turkey resuming ruble transactions seems dim, adding to Moscow’s potential motivations to press Turkey on the “Kurdish issue.”

Adding to Ankara’s unease is the specter of a resurgent PKK, as memories of past terror attacks resurface. Some officials warn that Syria might again use this card against Turkey, as it did from 1984 to 1998, before Syrian-Turkish relations stabilized under the pressure of Turkish military resolve. In the late 1990s, then-President Süleyman Demirel’s firm stance led to Syria’s expulsion of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, signaling a rare alignment of purpose in Turkish domestic politics. Yet the PKK’s influence remained, resurfacing in Syria in 2013, where it established a new foothold under Assad’s tacit approval.

Observers note that Erdoğan’s skillful handling of these developments has also served to strengthen his party’s image amid a shifting political landscape. With a general election approaching, Erdoğan’s public embrace of the opposition and his commitment to protecting Turkish security resonate with a broad swath of voters. “This is no time for divisions,” Erdoğan suggested, reiterating his gratitude to opposition leader Özgür Özel of the Republican People’s Party. He called for unity “for the sake of the nation.”

In navigating these complexities, Erdoğan’s appeals aim at bolstering internal cohesion in a time of uncertainty. Turkey’s nationalist factions, Kurdish leaders, and the broader public remain watchful of the government’s next steps, as the country seeks unity against a growing spectrum of external threats.