Senior Syrian Kurdish officials have issued tributes to Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the late deputy speaker of Turkey’s parliament and member of the İmralı Delegation, following his death in Istanbul on 3 May.
Önder, a former parliamentarian from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, was a central figure in past peace negotiations between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He died after undergoing heart surgery in a private hospital.
Mazloum Abdî, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (QSD)—the armed forces of the Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria—described Önder as a figure whose efforts had left “a lasting impression in people’s hearts and memories”. In a message shared on the social platform X on 3 May, Abdî extended condolences to Önder’s family, colleagues and peace activists.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the de facto regional authority in Kurdish-majority areas of Syria, said Önder had played “a key role in peace and democratic dialogue initiatives in Turkey and the region”. In an official statement, the administration described him as “a courageous intellectual and patriot who never hesitated to defend the rights of oppressed peoples.”
“His legacy will continue to inspire the struggle for a democratic system that guarantees the rights and freedoms of all,” the statement added. The administration also expressed condolences to Önder’s family, the Turkish public, and his political allies.
Foza Yusuf, a member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), highlighted Önder’s cultural and political contributions, calling him “a loyal comrade of the Kurdish people” and “a true citizen of the Democratic Nation”—a reference to a political model developed by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan advocating grassroots democracy and ethnic coexistence.
