UNU-INWEH Policy Brief: Dinç, P., Eklund, L., Matin, M., Madani, K. (2025). From Conflict to Peace: The PKK’s Disarmament and the Green Potential of Peace in the Middle East. United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Doi: 10.53328/INR25PDR001
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The PKK’s decision to disarm in 2025 presents a historic opportunity to transform peacebuilding in the Middle East. Beyond ending decades of armed conflict, this moment allows for addressing the deep ecological damage left behind, including deforestation, polluted water, and degraded lands across Kurdish regions.
Green Transitional Justice (GTJ) provides a framework to repair these legacies by recognizing environmental harm, empowering local communities, and including non-human victims in justice processes. Unlike conventional transitional justice, GTJ prioritizes ecological restoration and challenges structural inequalities that fuel conflict.
Building durable peace will require ecological inclusion, community participation, and cross-border cooperation. With sustained political commitment and innovative financing, this approach can help ensure that peace is not only political but also environmental, fostering long-term resilience and justice.
