Halide Türkoğlu, spokesperson of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Women's Assembly, addressed current developments during a press conference held at the party's headquarters.

A new era has begun

Halide Türkoğlu referred to Abdullah Öcalan’s call on February 27, stating that "this call has opened the door to a new era in the 21st century, not only in Turkey but also in the Middle East and globally, paving the way for the reconstruction of a democratic society. As women, we see it as our fundamental duty and responsibility to strengthen the struggle for peace through the experiences, achievements, and legacy of our women's movement. The government must immediately fulfill the requirements of this call. Mr. Öcalan must be granted free and effective conditions, allowing him to establish contact with the people."

Immediate steps must be taken

Türkoğlu urged the Turkish state to take immediate action. She said: "Establishing a democratic political and legal framework is not merely a condition; it is the very foundation, projection, and guarantee of peace and resolution. Steps must be taken without delay. For over a century, since the formation of the Republic of Turkey, policies of denial and annihilation have deepened war, polarization, suffering, mourning, displacement, arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and massacres in our region. The institutionalization of militarism, nationalism, and sexism in all areas has led to a continuous rise in femicides, harassment, and sexual violence."

Opportunities and threats

Türkoğlu added that "the democratization of Turkey is essential for the democratic and peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue. Every step taken toward this democratization will undoubtedly have an impact on the broader Middle East." She cautioned that while significant opportunities exist, serious dangers also loom, stating, "We are closer than ever to peace, resolution, democracy, and freedom, surrounded by opportunities. At the same time, we stand on the brink, caught on the edge of war."

Women will be the strongest defenders of this call

Türkoğlu underlined the significance of Öcalan’s call for women, saying that "the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’ sets the most suitable framework for advancing the achievements of women's long-standing struggle for equality and freedom. We are fully aware that dominant masculinity is further strengthened through conflict and war. As women, we have always been at the forefront of the struggle for peace, and our movement holds powerful experience and knowledge. Therefore, women will be the strongest defenders of this call."

She continued: "The construction of peace and a democratic society is only possible with women and through women’s struggle. We want to collectively build a language of peace in politics. As the Women's Assembly of the DEM Party, we are here with a plan, a program, and a call to ensure that democratic politics, the socialization of peace, and women's active role as agents of change in the legal sphere become realities. We seek to establish dialogue and negotiations with women members of parliament and women's organizations within political parties, uniting them under a shared women's perspective."

We will discuss together

Türkoğlu said that they would meet with political parties in the coming week and continued: "We will engage in discussions with women journalists and press organizations to place women's peace politics and struggle at the center of both national and local political agendas in both national and local politics. Our goal is to ensure that this process is not dominated by male-centered political approaches but rather highlights the insistence on and visibility of a women-centered democratization. We recognize that the women's struggle is the guarantee of local democracy.

We will come together with women's platforms and city councils to strengthen democratic politics and to socialize the discourse and struggle for peace at the local level. With institutions and organizations fighting against violence against women, we will collectively discuss how conflict translates into violence in our lives and how peace and democratization can become a victory in women’s struggle for equality and freedom. We know the cost of war from the exploitation of our labor and the precariousness of our lives. To advance peace politics, we will meet with women's structures within labor organizations and trade unions, walking together in building a democratic society and driving democratic change."

We will expand the struggle

Türkoğlu emphasized the importance of collective engagement in the call for "Peace and a Democratic Society," and added: "Together with women intellectuals, writers, lawyers, academics, and artists, we will discuss how society and the state can take part in peace and democratic transformation at this historical crossroads. We, as women who have been silenced, punished, and censored in the politics of the ruling powers will open paths for one another and walk together in building the politics of a free, equal, and democratic society. For democratic transformation to be possible, it is essential to free politics and the state from monolithic structures. The essence of democracy lies in plurality and diversity, and for this essence to thrive, all identities must be recognized. A democratic Turkey is not only about achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue, it is also about ensuring that, through this resolution, all peoples, faiths, and marginalized identities can collectively win. Both the opportunities and the struggle for this future are in our hands. We will expand our struggle together to ensure that all women take part in this process."

We will build the politics and language of the new era

Türkoğlu emphasized that the socialization of peace cannot develop independently of the socialization of women's freedom, stating: "This is why we must stand together more than ever and insist on peace. Achieving a democratic constitution, strengthening local democracy, and establishing a democratic republic requires continuous dialogue and oversight in social, political, and legal spheres with women playing a leading role. As the Women's Assembly of the DEM Party, we want to emphasize that ensuring this process is effectively carried out on a democratic political foundation requires recognizing that women are the organized force of a democratic society, those who create and transform. We, as women, will build the democratic politics and language of this new era together."