After Abdullah Öcalan made his 'Call for Peace and a Democratic Society' on 27 February, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held its 12th Congress between May 5 and 7. The discussions that began in October 2024 showed the deadlock created by the Turkish state’s security-based approach to the political resolution of the Kurdish question.

In particular, the campaign 'Freedom for Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question,' launched on 10 October 2023, led to a broad wave of action by Kurds and their allies. The demonstrations and events organized within the campaign, coupled with the Turkish state’s impasse in war and shifting regional dynamics, once again pushed the state to turn to Öcalan.

All the discussions so far have not led to any improvement for Öcalan’s conditions on Imralı Island, nor has his physical freedom been ensured. Addressing the matter, the spokespersons of the 'Freedom for Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question' campaign, Hatip Dicle, Zübeyde Zümrüt, and Sinan Önal, answered ANF’s questions.

The Turkish state must take political and legal steps

Sinan Önal emphasized the importance of securing Mr. Öcalan’s physical freedom, ensuring his health and safety, and allowing him to engage in lawful and democratic politics. He said that Mr. Öcalan plays a decisive role in achieving lasting peace.

Önal highlighted Mr. Öcalan’s identity as a negotiator and his capacity to build bridges between peoples in the current political debates, and said: "Following this historic declaration, the Turkish state must take political and legal steps to create a basis for negotiation and implement legal reforms that recognize the rights of the Kurdish people. The success of this process is directly linked to equal citizenship rights guaranteed by a democratic constitution."

The PKK must be removed from terrorist lists

Sinan Önal noted that international powers could also play a role in advancing the process, stressing that the PKK should be removed from so-called terrorist lists. Referring to how these designations no longer reflect the current reality and obstruct peace efforts, Önal emphasized the importance of applying diplomatic pressure on Turkey.

Önal said: "The Kurdish movement will continue to prioritize democratic politics, diplomacy, and social solidarity in this new phase. More than symbolic support is needed. The implementation of concrete political and legal measures will strengthen the credibility of this process."

Diplomatic pressure must be applied on Turkey

Sinan Önal continued: "States in Europe must exert pressure on Turkey, recognize the legitimate demands of the Kurdish people, and provide legal support for a solution outside the framework of militarism. This is a historic opportunity to end decades of conflict and move toward a new phase based on dialogue, justice, and democracy. For the Kurdish people, this process should be seen as a spring of freedom, and for Turkey, as a spring of democracy. The call for peace rising from the heart of the Middle East will be decisive not only for Turkey, but also for regional peace and stability."

We are in the third phase of the global campaign

Zübeyde Zümrüt said that Mr. Öcalan’s 27 February call was the third phase of the global campaign and added: "This call is not merely a statement, it also presents a roadmap and political vision for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question."

She recalled that despite 26 years of severe isolation, Mr. Öcalan delivered a powerful message of freedom and peace. Zümrüt noted that this call was met with great enthusiasm not only by the Kurdish people, but also by Turkish society and countries across the region, pointing to the importance of Newroz 2025. She added: "The demands voiced by the masses in the streets revealed just how widespread the belief in peace has become."

Our efforts will intensify and continue

Zübeyde Zümrüt also addressed the discussions about the "right to hope," stating: "Legal experts are drawing attention to the right to hope within this framework. In September of last year, the Council of Europe made it an absolute condition that Turkey must implement a reform regarding aggravated life imprisonment by September 2025. Therefore, this step must now be taken. Our campaign also aims for the release of all political prisoners. Our efforts in this regard will intensify." She added that the campaign, carried out simultaneously both within Turkey and internationally, is laying the foundation for a new democratic process.

European politics is deepening its focus on the Kurdish question

Hatip Dicle recalled the upcoming 86th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, scheduled for the end of June, and announced that efforts will be made during this session to pressure Turkey into implementing the "right to hope" regulation.

Dicle said: "European institutions must now take concrete steps and ensure that Turkey fulfills its obligations.” He also noted that the European Parliament’s Turkey report, adopted last week, included praise for Mr. Öcalan’s call. He added, “This indicates that the understanding of the Kurdish question is deepening within European politics and that the expectation for a solution is becoming institutionalized."

'I want to meet with Öcalan' campaign

Hatip Dicle pointed out that the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has still not released its report on the visit it conducted to Imralı two and a half years ago. He said that "the fact that the CPT recently visited Turkey again but did not go to Imralı is a serious cause for concern. These issues are being kept on the agenda by relevant legal experts and human rights organizations. Institutions that fail to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities undermine public trust."

Dicle announced that a new global letter-writing campaign is expected to be launched under the slogan 'I want to meet with Öcalan.' He said that this campaign represents the conscience of the international public standing for peace and freedom.

There is a strong will for peace

Dicle noted that a strong will for peace has emerged across all segments of society in Turkey. He emphasized that the public response following the passing of Sırrı Süreyya Önder reflected this desire for peace and stressed the importance of all social and political actors supporting it.

"Peace has clear conditions," Dicle said, referring to negotiations based on equality and a process that includes civil society and political representatives. Describing the current debates as an opportunity, he continued: "It is essential to take steps that will ensure the freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and initiate a process of democratic transformation. Despite being held under the harshest conditions for 26 years, Mr. Öcalan has never wavered in his commitment to peace. His release would constitute the most fundamental guarantee for this process. This step would open the door to a shared vision of the future, not only for the Kurds but for all peoples of Turkey."

Our struggle will continue with determination

Dicle concluded with the following remarks: "Nelson Mandela’s peace negotiations with the De Klerk administration in South Africa are the most relevant and inspiring example. With Mandela’s release, the country moved toward democratization, and the Black population gained the right to self-determination. Similarly, in Turkey, peace and democracy can advance together. This, too, must be a process built collectively and through social consensus.

All components of our campaign will continue to take steps that encourage Turkey and will keep the agenda of peace alive. Our struggle will persist with determination toward a new social contract in which everyone takes responsibility and has a voice."