DEM Party lawmaker Sırrı Süreyya Önder dies at 62
ISTANBUL
DEM Party lawmaker Sırrı Süreyya Önder passed away on Saturday due to multiple organ failure, hospital officials announced. He was 62.
Önder had been in intensive care for 18 days following a heart condition that required extensive surgery. Despite medical efforts, his condition deteriorated, leading to his death at 4:10 p.m. on May 3, according to a statement from Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul.
The hospital reported that Önder’s neurological condition worsened as his vital signs declined, culminating in multiple organ failure. “Despite all interventions, Mr. Sırrı Süreyya Önder lost his life on the 18th day of treatment in our intensive care unit,” the statement read.
Önder, a prominent figure in Turkish politics and a member of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), was known for his role in peace negotiations and his work as a filmmaker. His passing has prompted an outpouring of condolences from across the political spectrum, reflecting his influence as a bridge-builder in Türkiye’s polarized landscape.
Born in 1962 in the southeastern city of Adıyaman, Önder was imprisoned for seven years following the 1980 military coup.
He was elected to parliament in 2011 as an independent candidate and later became a leading figure in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the predecessor of the DEM Party. He also gained prominence as a filmmaker, writer and columnist.
Önder played a central role in the 2013–2015 peace talks between the Turkish government and PKK.
He was arrested in 2018 on charges of “making terrorist propaganda” and released the following year. He is currently part of the delegation involved in renewed dialogue efforts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and Turkish officials.
Önder, a deputy parliament speaker, has been involved in renewed dialogue efforts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and Turkish officials.PKK is listed as a terror group by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.
In a televised announcement on Feb. 27, Önder and other DEM Party officials conveyed a message from Öcalan urging PKK to disarm and dissolve.
Önder's hospitalization came days after a landmark April 10 meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, where he and fellow DEM Party lawmaker Pervin Buldan met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
It marked the first direct contact between Erdoğan and pro-Kurdish representatives in nearly 12 years.
