Öcalan: 'We will conduct tremendous democratic politics'

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

BURSA, TURKEY —  Following a pivotal meeting with the DEM Party delegation on February 16, imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan has issued a statement declaring a definitive shift away from armed conflict. "Weapons and violence have been abandoned. We will conduct tremendous democratic politics," Öcalan stated, marking a significant turn in the decades-long Kurdish issue.

The delegation, which included Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Pervin Buldan, MP Mithat Sancar, and lawyer Özgür Faik Erol, met with Öcalan on Imrali Island for approximately three and a half hours. According to the written statement released by the DEM Party, Öcalan emphasized that the current process has proven the capacity to transition from "politics of violence and division to democratic politics and integration."

From conflict to integration

Öcalan critiqued the approach of "liquidating terror" as a non-solution, arguing instead for a return to the foundational spirit of the Turkish Republic.

"The process leading to the establishment of the Republic was built on Turkish and Kurdish unity," Öcalan remarked. "The subsequent legal texts excluding Kurds, banning Kurdish identity and language, produced denial and rebellion. The process we are in now is the process of ending denial and rebellion."

He stressed that the integration of Kurds would be one of the fundamental pillars of a "Democratic Republic," moving beyond mere amendments to criminal law to address the root causes of the conflict.

Local democracy and autonomy

Outlining his vision for the future, Öcalan proposed "Democratic Unity" for all Kurds, clarifying that this does not imply a separate state but a comprehensive principle of democratic governance. He pointed to the European Charter of Local Self-Government as a strong basis for this model.

"What fits the spirit of democratic integration is the existence and institutionalization of local democracy," he explained. "Whether it is a city or a village, they must have the right to freely express and govern themselves."

Debate over the 'Right to Hope'

The meeting coincided with the final deliberations of the Parliamentary Commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy. A key topic of discussion remains the "right to hope"—a legal provision allowing for the possible parole of prisoners serving life sentences.

While MHP Vice President Feti Yıldız confirmed that the substance of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings on this matter would be included in the commission's report, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir stated there would be no person-specific regulations. DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, however, insisted that peace cannot be achieved if Öcalan remains under the same isolation conditions.

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