Öcalan Calls for “Law of Peace and Democracy” to Shape Türkiye’s Next Century

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - From his isolated prison cell on İmralı Island, Abdullah Öcalan, the long-imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has issued a new and forward-looking message, declaring that the next century of the Republic of Türkiye must be founded upon "the law of peace and democracy." 

This call for a fundamental legal and political restructuring of the Turkish state came after a three-and-a-half-hour meeting with a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party. 

As Türkiye navigates a historic and delicate transition following the PKK's declared end to its nearly five-decade-long armed struggle, Öcalan's message emphasizes the need for tangible legal frameworks to codify and sustain a new era of non-conflict, framing "negotiating democracy" as the essential mechanism for resolving the nation's most profound and deeply rooted problems.

The meeting, which took place on Friday, was held between Öcalan and a DEM Party delegation consisting of prominent figures Pervin Buldan, Mithat Sancar, and Faik Özgür Erol.

In a statement released the following day, the delegation relayed Öcalan's core message, which centered on the urgent need to move beyond the current state of de-escalation and into a phase of legally guaranteed democratic resolution.

Öcalan emphasized that "negotiating democracy" is one of the most important models of resolution that civilization has developed after centuries of destructive conflict, and that this mechanism must be taken as the basis for solving Türkiye's problems.

In his message, Öcalan acknowledged the significant progress that has been made over the past year. He stated that due to the "peace process and democratic society" initiative that began a year ago, a state of non-conflict has prevailed in Türkiye, a fragile but vital calm that he said has prevented "great dangers."

He extended his thanks to all who have played a role in achieving this crucial, if preliminary, stage of the process.

Building on this, Öcalan directly referenced his pivotal statement of Feb. 27, 2025, in which he first called for the PKK to end its armed campaign. He reiterated the core principle from that message: that the ultimate success of the peace process is "dependent on political and legal necessities."

He then made a specific and pressing request, urging that, at this critical juncture, the necessary legal frameworks be determined and implemented in a "correct and comprehensive manner."

This, he argued, is the essential next step to solidify the gains of the past year and to build a lasting foundation for a new Turkish Republic. The DEM Party delegation also noted in its statement that Öcalan's health and morale were, "as always, very high, healthy, and self-confident."

This new message from İmralı arrives at a moment of profound and unprecedented change in the long and bloody conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK. The current "peace process and democratic society" initiative has its roots in Öcalan's call on Feb. 27, which urged the PKK to convene a congress, formally dissolve its military wing, and end its armed campaign.

In a landmark response, the PKK held its 12th Congress from May 5–7, announcing a formal end to its armed struggle and a collective decision to pursue a political resolution.

This was followed by a symbolic disarmament ceremony on July 11, held in Jassana Cave in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province, where a group of 30 PKK fighters, including four senior commanders, laid down and burned their weapons.

Öcalan himself has provided a detailed ideological and strategic framework for this historic transition. In a comprehensive video message dated June 19, 2025, he formally declared the end of the PKK's foundational military objective.

"The PKK movement and its ‘National Liberation Strategy,’ which emerged as a reaction to the denial of the existence [of the Kurds] and thus aimed at setting up a separate state, has been dissolved," he stated. "The existence [of the Kurds] has been recognized; therefore, the basic aim has been achieved."

He argued that a continuation of the old strategy would amount to "excessive repetition and stalemate" and called for the adoption of a new political framework centered on a "Democratic Society," backed by a "Democratic Politics" strategy and a "holistic law" tactic. He stressed that this voluntary shift was "not a loss, but has to be regarded as a historical gain."

The Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has responded to these developments with a mixture of triumphalism and a commitment to a managed, state-led process.

Following the July disarmament ceremony, Erdoğan declared a "historic victory," stating, "a new page has been opened in Türkiye’s history." He framed the PKK's decision as the successful culmination of his government's "Terror-free Türkiye" project, emphasizing that it was not the result of "negotiations, bargaining, or any give-and-take process."

However, he also announced that a parliamentary commission, the "National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission," would be established to manage the legal dimensions of the peace process, a move that aligns with the institutional approach now being called for by Öcalan.

This parliamentary commission, which will comprise 51 members from across the political spectrum, has become a central focus of the new political phase. In his own statements, Öcalan has expressed his expectation that the commission's work would "gain momentum and contribute meaningfully to peace and democracy."

The DEM Party, for its part, has been an active participant in the commission's early meetings, which it described as being marked by an "atmosphere of shared understanding." In a statement in August, the party reflected on the "heavy burden of the past" and declared its determination "not to place it on the shoulders of future generations."

However, significant challenges and deep-seated mistrust remain. Senior figures within the broader Kurdish movement, such as Duran Kalkan, have argued that no genuine progress can be made without the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, whom he described as the "chief negotiator" for the Kurds.

"As long as Öcalan remains in isolation, the commission cannot advance even a millimeter," Kalkan stated, arguing that until a concrete step is taken for his freedom, other initiatives will remain limited to "good intentions." Öcalan himself addressed the matter of his own freedom in his June message, stating, "I have never regarded my freedom as a personal issue. Philosophically, the freedom of the individual cannot be abstracted from the [freedom of] society."

President Erdoğan has also combined his commitment to the process with powerful affirmations of kinship and stern warnings against sabotage. "Kurds are our brothers wherever they live," he declared in September. "No one can separate us from each other."

 At the same time, he warned, "whoever tries to sabotage this process will pay the price for it." He has linked the end of the conflict directly to a "peace dividend," stating that "Resources allocated to the fight against terrorism will now be spent on development, production, investment, and employment."

It is into this complex and hopeful, yet still fragile, political landscape that Öcalan's latest message has been delivered. His call for the establishment of "the law of peace and democracy" is a direct appeal to move from a state of non-conflict, which is inherently reversible, to a state of legally guaranteed peace, which is enduring.

By framing this as the necessary foundation for the "new century of the Republic of Türkiye," he is not only addressing the immediate needs of the peace process but is also articulating a vision for a fundamentally different and more inclusive Turkish state, one where the destructive conflicts of the past are replaced by the constructive and legally protected mechanisms of a negotiated democracy.