Amy Austin Holmes, a researcher and former adviser to the US State Department, has written an article for Newsweek magazine calling on the US government to support a renewed peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), highlighting its potential to significantly stabilise the Middle East region at minimal cost to US taxpayers.
Last week on 27 February, the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, called on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to disarm, an appeal named as ‘the call for peace and a democratic society’, providing a critical opportunity to end one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. Holmes emphasises that this peace initiative is in line with US national security interests and has the potential to stabilise the wider region, which is deeply affected by the ongoing conflict.
Holmes’ argument builds on previous calls from US officials advocating for a shift in Washington’s approach. Retired US Army Colonel Myles B Caggins III, a former spokesperson for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, had earlier urged the US to delist the PKK and engage in peace efforts, highlighting the contradiction in Washington’s counterterrorism policy—where Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group that has targeted Americans, is reportedly being delisted, while the PKK remains designated despite never posing a threat to the US. Meanwhile, the White House has also acknowledged Öcalan’s call, with National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes describing it as a “major step toward regional stability” and expressing hope that it could help ease tensions between Turkey and the US over support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Holmes is a renowned researcher on the Kurdish issue and has been a long-time fellow at the Wilson Center, one of the leading think tanks in the United States. With extensive on-the-ground research, she has visited northeastern Syria multiple times, closely studying the political and social dynamics in the region. Her work particularly focuses on women’s liberation, a subject she has explored in depth in her book called as ‘Statelet of Survivors’. Holmes’ insights have been widely covered by Medya News, which has published several interviews and articles featuring her analysis on the Kurdish struggle, peace processes, and US foreign policy in the Middle East.
Holmes criticises previous US administrations for neglecting the conflict, highlighting how this neglect has exacerbated tensions between Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, negatively impacting various ethnic and religious communities, including Yazidis and Assyrian Christians. Turkish military actions in regions such as Sinjar (Şengal) in Iraq and Tel Tamer in Syria have exacerbated humanitarian crises already exacerbated by ISIS atrocities.
Related Articles :
Öcalan’s freedom vital for peace, says Nobel laureate Williams PKK urged to dissolve as Öcalan takes responsibility for new era of peacePodcast: Field research shows US must back planned elections in AANESHolmes proposes practical steps for US engagement, including contributions from Global Coalition allies to a peacekeeping mission along the Turkish-Syrian border to uphold the 2019 US-Turkish ceasefire. She also suggests diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Kurdish political leader Selahattin Demirtaş and ensure Syrian Kurdish representation in future governance discussions.
She further recommends the creation of a US special envoy dedicated to preventing Turkish-Kurdish conflict and coordinating Washington’s efforts in the region. Highlighting the strategic benefits at minimal cost, she calls for proactive US support to facilitate the peace process, strengthening regional stability while preserving existing gains.
With these statements from Holmes, Caggins, and the White House, a growing momentum is pushing for a shift in US policy toward Turkish-Kurdish peace efforts. The question now remains whether Washington will take concrete steps toward mediation or continue its outdated approach to the conflict.
