Lawmakers from across the political divide paid tribute in parliament on Wednesday to Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a deputy speaker and key figure in the country’s renewed Kurdish peace efforts, following his death on Saturday due to long-standing health issues.
The tribute ceremony took place in a solemn hall at the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, where Önder’s photograph, carnations, and a condolence book were displayed. Önder, a leading member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, had also served on the delegation that conducted dialogue with Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), during the 2013–2015 peace efforts.
In a rare show of political unity, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy speaker Murat Emir, and prominent opposition figures such as Future Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu and Felicity Party leader Mahmut Arıkan joined the tribute. Ali Önder, the late politician’s brother, alongside DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, welcomed the mourners.
In a striking moment, Bahçeli, long known for his nationalist views, was seen gently touching Önder’s framed photograph with his hand during the visit — a symbolic gesture that resonated with many observers, given the deep political rifts in Turkey.
CHP’s Emir praised Önder as a principled advocate for peace and justice, describing him as “a man who never wavered in his democratic stance” and a parliamentarian who “resolved tensions with wit and wisdom”. Emir added that Önder’s contributions to both politics and the arts would be deeply missed.
Hatimoğulları highlighted Önder’s broad appeal: “He was not only a politician or artist. He united many identities in one. He dreamed of social peace and lived it—both in life and in death.”
Davutoğlu noted Önder’s “sincerity and authenticity,” while Speaker Kurtulmuş commended his role in seeking peace. “He took initiative and fulfilled crucial missions so that weapons would fall silent in this country,” he said. “Turkey will remember him as a figure of peace and fraternity.”
Önder’s efforts during the peace process, coupled with his humour and poetic sensibility, left a lasting impression on Turkish political life. His death marks the loss of one of the few figures able to bridge deeply entrenched divides in a polarised nation.
