Erdogan dismisses criticism over Kurdish talks

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the peace process aimed at ending Turkey's decades-long conflict with Kurdish militants was progressing in a "positive atmosphere", after criticism from pro-Kurdish lawmakers.

Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said recent steps had brought the process to a more sensitive stage following the approval of a parliamentary commission report outlining a roadmap for legal reforms alongside the disbandment of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

His remarks come a day after the pro-Kurdish DEM Party issued one of its strongest criticisms yet of the government, accusing it of acting in a "hesitant, timid and stalling manner" despite what it described as a historic opportunity for peace.

Erdogan rejected such criticism, saying: "There is a positive atmosphere, what needs to be done is clear, and the process is progressing as it should." He added that those drawing pessimistic conclusions about the process were "acting on illusions, not facts".

"With the approval of the commission report, we have reached a crossroads that needs to be managed more carefully," Erdogan said, adding that the ruling People’s Alliance aimed to navigate this stage with the support of other political parties.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, halted attacks last year and said in May it had decided to disband and end its armed struggle, following a February 2025 call by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

However, a standoff remains over next steps, with Ankara saying disarmament must be verified before further legal or political measures, while Kurdish political actors have called for faster reforms.

The conflict, which began in 1984, has killed more than 40,000 people and has had spillover effects in Iraq and Syria.