Regional Studies Center

In light of the ongoing developments in the region and their profound effects on regional and international stability, the Regional Studies Center at the University of Mosul held a seminar entitled “Regional and International Implications of Ocalan’s Declaration to Renounce the Use of Force in Turkey” on Thursday, March 6, 2025. This event comes within the framework of analyzing the significant effects that this announcement may have on the national, regional, and international levels.
The seminar was chaired by the Director of the Center, Prof. Dr. Mithaq Khairallah Jalloud. Prof. Dr. Imad Khalil Ibrahim presented the opening lecture, which dealt with the presence of the PKK given the memoranda of understanding between Iraq and Turkey, then Prof. Dr. Luqman Omar Mahmood presented an analysis of the impact of Ocalan’s announcement on Iraq and Turkey, addressing the most important implications of this decision on the relationship between the two countries. Prof. Dr. Salem Matar Abdullah addressed the international consequences of this step on international politics, while Prof. Dr. Mohammad Abdul Rahman Younis presented a vision on the effects of the PKK issue on Iranian-Turkish relations, at the end of the episode, Assist. Prof. Dr. Tariq Mohammad Thanoun discussed the future of Iraqi-Turkish relations given this announcement.
The participants emphasized that Ocalan’s announcement represents an important turning point in the regional political scene and may have positive effects on the stability of the region, especially in the context of the complex relations between Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, and the importance of following subsequent developments to assess the success of this step in achieving lasting peace.
The seminar concluded with an interactive questions and discussion session that enriched the topic of the debate and resulted in many key recommendations.