PKK leader Öcalan calls on group to lay down arms in historic statement
In a message read out by DEM Party members in İstanbul, the imprisoned PKK leader has called on the group to end its four-decade armed insurgency against Turkey and dissolve itself.
Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has called on the militant group to lay down arms.
Öcalan's message was read out today at an İstanbul hotel by a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which visited the PKK leader at the İmralı island prison earlier in the day.
In his message, Öcalan stated that the only solution to the Kurdish question is through democratic means and called on the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve itself.
"Respect for identities, free self-expression, democratic self-organization of each segment of society based on their own socio-economic and political structures, are only possible through the existence of a democratic society and political space," reads the letter. "Convene your congress and make a decision; all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself."
It remains unclear how the PKK, which has engaged in armed struggle for 40 years, will respond to this call.
Following the statement, DEM Party MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder read an additional note from Öcalan that was not included in his letter: "Undoubtedly, for the practical implementation of disarmament and the dissolution of the PKK, the recognition of democratic politics and a legal framework is necessary."
This remark suggests that the group could wait for certain legal arrangements before taking steps toward disarmament.
Öcalan (middle) is seen with DEM members at the İmralı prison in his first public photograph since 2013.
Full text of Öcalan's statement
Call for Peace and Democratic Society
The PKK was born in the 20th century, in the most violent epoch of the history of humanity, amidst the two World wars, under the shadow of the experience of real socialism and the cold war around the World. The outright denial of Kurdish reality, restrictions on basic rights and freedoms - especially freedom of expression - played a significant role in its emergence and development.
The PKK has been under the heavy realities of the century and the system of real socialism in terms of its adopted theory, program, strategy and tactics. In the 1990s, with the collapse of real socialism due to internal dynamics, the dissolution of the denial of Kurdish identity in the country, and improvements in freedom of expression, led to weakening of the PKK´s foundational meaningfulness and resulted in excessive repetition.
Throughout the history of more than 1000 years, Turkish and Kurdish relations were defined in terms of mutual cooperation and alliance, and Turks and Kurds have found it essential to remain in this voluntary alliance to maintain their existence and survive against hegemonic Powers.
The last 200 years of capitalist modernity have been marked by primarily with the aim to break this alliance. The forces involved, in line with their class-based interests, have played a key role in furthering this objective. With monist interpretations of the Republic, this process has accelerated. Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile, without excluding consideration for beliefs with the spirit of fraternity.
The need for a democratic society is inevitable. The PKK, the longest and most extensive insurgency and armed movement in the history of the Republic, found social base and support, and was primarily inspired by the fact that the channels of democratic politics were closed.
The inevitable outcome of the extreme nationalist deviations - such as a separate nation-state, federation, administrative autonomy, or culturalist solutions - fails to answer the historical sociology of the society.
Respect for identities, free self-expression, democratic self-organization of each segment of society based on their own socio-economic and political structures, are only possible through the existence of a democratic society and political space.
The second century of the Republic can achieve and assure permanent and fraternal continuity only if it is crowned with democracy. There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.
The language of the epoch of peace and democratic society needs to be developed in accordance with this reality.
The call made by Mr. Devlet Bahceli, along with the will expressed by Mr. President, and the positive responses from the other political parties towards the known call, has created an environment in which I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call.
As in the case with any modern community and party whose existence has not been abolished by force, would voluntarily do, convene your congress and make a decision; all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.
I convey my greetings to all those who believe in co-existence and who look forward to my call.
February 25, 2025 Abdullah Öcalan
The new peace process
Since October 2024, Turkey has seen renewed discussions around the Kurdish issue following remarks by Erdoğan's main ally Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Bahçeli proposed that Öcalan could declare the disbandment of the PKK in exchange for benefiting from a "right to hope" policy. This initiative led to two visits by DEM Party officials to İmralı Island, marking the first time in four years that Öcalan was allowed external contact.
During his party's group meeting on Nov 26, Bahçeli said, "We expect face-to-face contact to be established between İmralı and the DEM group." The same day, the DEM Party submitted an application to the Justice Ministry requesting a meeting with Öcalan. One month later, the ministry approved DEM Party's request, and Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder met with Öcalan on İmralı Island on Dec 28. On Jan 22, the DEM delegation met Öcalan for the second time.
Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984. A previous peace process initiated by the then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government failed in 2015, leading to widespread crackdown on the pro-Kurdish political movement in Turkey.
bianet LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü. "1 Mayıs 1977 Kayıplarını Yakınları Anlatıyor/1 Mayıs 1977 ve Cezasızlık" dosyasını hazırladı. Ege Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe bölümü mezunu. 2019 yılından...
bianet LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü. "1 Mayıs 1977 Kayıplarını Yakınları Anlatıyor/1 Mayıs 1977 ve Cezasızlık" dosyasını hazırladı. Ege Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe bölümü mezunu. 2019 yılından beri "Küba" isimli köpekle ev arkadaşı.
This AI-generated version of the "Turkish Pikachu" went viral on social media.
Pikachu has been deported, or is under house arrest. Since video images are not shown on mainstream media, we are left in limbo. It is hoped other cartoon or Marvel characters will come to the rescue. Most wishing for Spiderman, Ironman or Superman; someone who could be quite useful for the demonstrators at the moment.
At present it would appear that the government have only Daffy Duck or Mister Magoo leading their charge, it would be no match.
Whilst the images have caused much humour in the west, here there is more to it than that. You couldn’t think of a more likable Pokémon than Pikachu, loved by all children.
This coupled with kindergarten games of jumping together at demos now, with thousands doing this saying if you don’t you are then a name they disapprove of, phone lights in the air with beaming smiles of unity, are just the equivalent of name calling at school.
It is the lighter side to free expression away from the dogma they perceive in the country. Other incidents are a demonstrator as a whirling dervish in front of the police, water cannoned, or someone doing a Christiano Ronaldo celebration or groups doing press-ups. All this points to different more light headed fun-loving and different Turkey to the one they experience day to day. They (peaceful demonstrators) are of course demonised by certain sections as, in not so many words, unturkish.
And yet these are the very same people who would:
Help your elderly relative to cross the road.
Stand next to you singing their heart to the national anthem at a football ground.
Some will pray in the mosque, celebrate Ramadan and bayram with all their family like you.
Whether you believe it or not, because they are you, they are a part of what makes Turkey great. They may be the other side of the fence, but not the other end of the world.
To end on a lighter note, alleged images of Pikachu drinking in ExpressoLab, is an attempt to undermine the moral of students. To me he is now old hat, I would much rather see people dressed as Bambi. I mean who would ever dream of water cannoning Bambi, or would they?
Disclaimer: Pikachu, Bambi, Ironman Superman, Mr Magoo or Daffy Duck have not, or ever been a part of any political party.
David R. Mellor is from Liverpool, England. He spent his late teens homeless on Merseyside. He is currently writing and performing in Turkey. His work...
David R. Mellor is from Liverpool, England. He spent his late teens homeless on Merseyside. He is currently writing and performing in Turkey. His work has been featured by the BBC and the Tate, and his published collections of poetry are What a Catch (2013), Some Body (2013), Express Nothing (2019) and So This Is It (2020). His collection of stories An Englishman in Turkey – Türkiye’de Bir İngiliz is recently published in Turkish.
Seven people, including a journalist, were detained yesterday during a protest in Ayvalık, a district in the northwestern province of Balıkesir.
Those detained were accused of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations and of “insulting the president.” The political magazine 1+1 Express confirmed that one of its team members, journalist and translator Çiğdem Öztürk, was among those taken into custody.
Despite the prosecutor’s request for their arrest, all seven individuals were released under judicial supervision the today.
The magazine issued a statement calling for the release of everyone who has been detained during the protests: “Freedom for all those who have been detained or arrested since Mar 19 for exercising their constitutional and democratic rights."
The protests
Protests have spread across Turkey since the Mar 19 detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure from the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Demonstrations have been particularly active in İstanbul, where the CHP held nightly rallies in front of the municipal building for seven consecutive days. Student-led protests have also taken place in cities across the country.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 1,800 people were detained nationwide between Mar 19 and Mar 27 in connection with the demonstrations, with 260 formally arrested.
At least 14 journalists have been among those detained.
Dozens of individuals have also been taken into custody over their social media posts related to the protests. In addition, court rulings have blocked access to numerous X (formerly Twitter) accounts.
İmamoğlu was formally arrested on Mar 23 on corruption-related charges and suspended from his duties as mayor. On the same day, the CHP held a previously scheduled primary in which İmamoğlu was declared the party’s presidential candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Following his suspension, the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council, where the CHP holds a majority, appointed a CHP member as acting mayor. (VK)
