Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 03:34 AM UTC

Jusuf Kalla urges Turkiye to consider Aceh model for Kurdish peace

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Benardy Ferdiansyah, Nabil Ihsan

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has urged Turkiye to consider the Aceh peace process as a model for resolving its decades-long conflict with Kurdish groups through negotiations, trust-building and reintegration.

"Our experience in Aceh showed that the best way to resolve a conflict is through negotiations, building trust, and providing opportunities for fighters to return to society," Kalla said at an international conference in Ankara on Monday.

According to a written statement received on Tuesday, Kalla was one of four speakers at a session on the Kurdish-Turkish conflict during the conference, titled "In Search of a New Regional Social Contract in the Middle East."

He suggested that the Turkish government grant amnesty to Kurdish fighters and activists, enabling them to resume normal lives and reintegrate into society.

"How can they return if they are afraid and have no security guarantees? They should be given a new opportunity to start a new life," he said.

Kalla said that after the August 2005 Helsinki peace agreement ended the conflict in Aceh, Indonesia granted amnesty to former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) combatants and supported their reintegration.

He also stressed the importance of engaging directly with resistance group leaders to establish communication and build trust, while involving a neutral mediator to facilitate negotiations.

He said mediators should be trusted by all parties, understand the underlying issues and be able to bring conflicting sides together.

"Conflicts cannot be resolved only by weapons. We should understand their root causes," he said.

Kalla also shared Indonesia's experience in the Aceh peace process during the conference, including at a screening of the documentary "The Last Accord" on Sunday, November 8.

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