The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) issued a statement today addressing the “Peace and Democratic Society” process, which was launched following the call made by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, on February 27 of last year. The party emphasized that the upcoming basic law represents a pivotal milestone in the future of the process, while expressing concerns over the approach taken in drafting the bill.
The party stated that discussions regarding the basic law—which concerns the future of the peoples of Turkey—are continuing at various levels and expanding within public opinion. However, according to the statement, information circulating through open sources raises questions about the degree of seriousness in handling this law.
The statement noted that during a meeting held on July 20, Abdullah Öcalan stressed that the forthcoming law “should not be limited or narrow, nor should it be prepared in a way that renders it incapable of serving the future; rather, it should be drafted with due regard to the sensitivities of both sides.” He considered that the law ought to constitute an important step toward ending the century-long division between the Kurdish people and the Turkish state, with its primary objective being the achievement of peace.
The party added that the success of the process begins with the discourse used, considering that “the use of terms such as ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist organization’ against a party that has announced its dissolution and ended its armed struggle against Turkey places this process—which relates to the future of our peoples—before obstacles from its very inception.” It affirmed that the alignment of language and concepts with the goals of the process is an essential condition to guarantee its progress.
The statement stressed that the steps required to end the war must be “reasonable and actionable,” adding that Abdullah Öcalan and the movement are handling this issue “with great sensitivity,” and that any process aimed at reaching a genuine solution must align with this objective, rather than being limited to crisis management.
Regarding the role of Abdullah Öcalan, the party affirmed that implementing the requirements of the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” necessitates enabling him to fulfill his role, pointing out that it has repeatedly demanded the determination of his legal status and the realization of his freedom. It added: “Unless Leader Apo himself leads this process, it will be impossible to implement the decisions taken and the requirements of the law to be enacted.”
The statement highlighted that Devlet Bahçeli had previously stated that Abdullah Öcalan should act as “a coordinator for the peace process and the transition to political work,” adding that discussions concerning Imrali included an acceptance of his assuming the task of coordinating peace and political action, as well as defining his role in implementing the expected law.
The party further stated that, according to information circulating through open sources, omitting Abdullah Öcalan’s status from the law would pose an obstacle to its implementation from the outset, stressing the importance of clarifying his status as “the primary interlocutor and negotiator.”
In a related context, the statement considered that restricting the “Peace and Democratic Society” process solely to the issue of laying down arms does not align with the nature of the process. It explained that the passage of the basic law or framework law should be followed by the enactment of other laws and the taking of democratic steps to address existing problems, which, according to the statement, would strengthen trust in the process and reassure the peoples of Turkey.
The party concluded its statement by affirming that it will determine its final position after reviewing the text of the law, adding: “If the law is positive, we will work to support it further and fully carry out our responsibilities.”
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
