Speaking at his party's group meeting on Wednesday, AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that he will hold a meeting with the delegation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) tomorrow.

Erdoğan stated: “As the People's Alliance, we will conclude this process, which we have carried out with great care and patience, for the good of our country. Tomorrow, we will receive the DEM delegation and meet with them and confirm our will to achieve the goal of a terror-free Turkey. We will continue to strive to build and revitalize both our region and our country with Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Alevis and Sunnis. This is what befits the AK Party and the People's Alliance.”

Background

The ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,’ announced by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February through the İmralı Delegation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), has created a tremendous impact both domestically and internationally. Not only democratic and socialist forces but even those most ideologically opposed to Öcalan were influenced by it and expressed positive remarks. This call has been widely described as a manifesto. Some have even called it the manifesto of the century or the era. It has generally been interpreted as the beginning of a new phase. Öcalan himself defined it as ‘the end of a 52-year process and the beginning of the era of a democratic society.’

Responding to Öcalan’s call on 1 March, the Executive Committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)said they agreed with the content of the call as it was and stated that they would fully comply with and implement the requirements of the call on their part. In order to pave the way for the implementation of Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society, the PKK declared a ceasefire, stating: “None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked. Beyond this, only the practical leadership of Leader Öcalan can make matters such as laying down arms practical.”

The PKK statement has been largely interpreted as a complementary response to the call. Not only supporters of the PKK but also its opponents expressed positive remarks about the statement. Many noted that the declared ceasefire has paved the way for putting the call into practice and that the words expressing agreement with its content signify the expected support for Mr. Öcalan.

One of the most surprising voices expressing positive remarks about both Mr.  Öcalan’s call and PKK statement was the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, Devlet Bahçeli. Regarding the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,’ Bahçeli described it as ‘beyond expectations,’ openly expressing his satisfaction. He even called the delegation that conveyed the call to the public to congratulate them. In response to the PKK Executive Committee’s ceasefire announcement, he used the phrase ‘pleasing’ and, referencing Öcalan’s call, described it as ‘supportive and complementary.’