Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), stated during a meeting with a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) that “the first phase of the peace process has ended, and the second phase, marking the beginning of democratic integration, has now begun.”
Speaking to Îlke TV, DEM delegation member Mithat Sancar said that he visited Öcalan at İmralı Prison in Turkey alongside Pervin Buldan and Faik Özgür. He noted that the meeting lasted approximately three hours and covered ten main points. According to Sancar, Öcalan described the meeting as “an entry into the phase of democratic integration.”
Sancar explained that, in summarizing the course of the process, Öcalan indicated that the first phase had officially concluded. This phase involved the dissolution of the organizational structure and the end of the armed struggle, stressing that its foundation was the dissolution of the PKK, a decision he described as strategic.
Sancar quoted Öcalan as saying: “In the first phase, we took significant steps toward this goal. We have now moved to the second phase, which is democratic integration. This is the most important issue at this stage. We will discuss this matter with you.”
According to Sancar, Öcalan emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, focusing primarily on the situation in Turkey while also addressing developments in Syria.
Sancar added that Öcalan had previously proposed resolving the Syrian crisis through “democratic integration.” He stressed the need to address differences through consultations and warned against any escalation that could lead to significant human losses and prolonged instability, particularly east of the Euphrates.
Sancar further stated that Öcalan considered the agreement reached in Syria on March 10 as the fundamental framework for negotiations and had shared this view with state officials. He added that serious concerns emerged after January 6, and that various actors played a role in resuming negotiations. Öcalan reportedly named Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani among those actors.
Finally, Sancar noted that the main actor whose role has largely been overlooked in public debate is Abdullah Öcalan himself. He said Öcalan had brought the process back “from the brink of the abyss” to the path of negotiations.
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