The parliamentary group chair of Turkey’s nationalist religious Felicity (Saadet) Party Bülent Kaya called for Turkey to champion the constitutional rights of Syrian Kurds, during a parliamentary debate on the government’s 2025 budget proposal on Tuesday.
Speaking at the debate, Kaya criticised the foreign policy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) towards Syria. “Syria’s Kurds must have their constitutional rights secured, and Turkey should be one of the foremost supporters and defenders of this,” Kaya said, highlighting the interconnectedness of Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and the diaspora.
Kaya condemned the AKP’s approach to Syria over the past 13 years, describing it as catastrophic. “Behind your so-called ‘victory’ in Syria lie one million deaths, over ten million refugees, and a nation left in ruins, with billions of dollars in losses,” he said.
He advocated for Turkey to adopt a proactive and inclusive policy regarding the Syrian Kurds, saying, “The Republic of Turkey should see the Kurds in Syria as being of as great a priority as it sees the Turkmens in Iraq or Bulgaria’s Turks.” The MP stressed that Turkey’s concerns should not lead to a fear-driven approach but rather foster constructive dialogue.
Kaya called for a long-term strategy for reconciliation and normalisation in Syria, adding, “Now that the era of war and conflict is over, we must discuss how to build a future where Turkey and Syria’s Kurds can be as inseparable as flesh and bone.”
The debate comes as Turkey faces domestic and international scrutiny over its policies in Syria and its stance towards Kurdish populations.
