Öcalan Hails ‘1000-Year’ Kurdish–Turkish Brotherhood, Calls Peace Talks ‘Very Positive’

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a "very positive" and strategically significant meeting held in his isolated island prison, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, has issued a powerful and historically resonant message, emphasizing the need to strengthen the "1000-year-old" pillars of the Kurdish and Turkish peoples' relationship as the essential foundation for building a common future and advancing the new peace process.

The results of the three-hour meeting, held on Monday with a delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, were released this morning, revealing a deep and nuanced discussion that focused on moving beyond immediate political steps to address the historical and sociological dimensions of the Kurdish issue, and calling for its resolution to be formally accommodated within the legal and constitutional framework of the Republic of Türkiye.

This latest message from İmralı comes at a critical and hopeful juncture in the long and often bloody conflict, just days after a high-level meeting between the same DEM Party delegation and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and following the PKK's historic announcement that it has begun withdrawing all of its armed forces from Turkish soil.

The confluence of these events suggests a new and serious momentum in the delicate process aimed at ending the four-decade-long insurgency and forging a lasting, democratic solution.

The statement, released on Tuesday morning by the İmralı delegation, provided a detailed summary of their lengthy discussion with Öcalan. It described the meeting as "very positive" and confirmed that the two sides had discussed several important issues, with the primary focus being the latest developments related to the new peace process in North Kurdistan and Türkiye.

The core of the message, as relayed by the delegation, was a call to ground the peace process in a deeper understanding of the shared history of the two peoples.

The delegation indicated that to successfully advance the process, "more importance should be given to the historical and sociological aspects." In this framework, the statement described the relationship between the Kurdish and Turkish peoples as "two 1000-year-old pillars of the region," and powerfully "emphasized that this historical relationship must be strengthened to build a common future."

This framing represents a significant and deliberate shift in rhetoric, moving the discourse away from one of conflict and antagonism toward one of shared heritage and intertwined destiny, a narrative that could provide a more fertile ground for reconciliation.

Beyond this historical vision, the meeting also addressed the practical and legal steps necessary to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution.

The delegation reiterated that the steps taken must not only solve current problems but must also "pave the way for a comprehensive solution." In a crucial and specific demand, it was requested that "the Kurdish issue, with all its dimensions, be accommodated within the framework of the laws of the Republic of Türkiye."

This is a clear call for a formal, legal, and constitutional resolution, moving beyond informal agreements and into the realm of codified rights and guarantees.

To achieve this, the establishment of a "strong transitional process" was proposed, one that would "serve as a foundation for a legal and constitutional solution." This step, the statement argued, was deemed "necessary to strengthen the democratic republic and guarantee rights."

The call for a transitional process suggests a desire for a structured, phased-in approach to the resolution, one that can manage the complexities of disarmament, political integration, and legal reform in a stable and predictable manner.

In its conclusion, the delegation's statement carried a message of caution and shared responsibility, calling on "all relevant parties to handle the situation with sensitivity and responsibility."

It stressed that to achieve the ambitious goals of the peace process, "everyone must take steps in a spirit of mutual understanding and responsibility."

Finally, in a note of reassurance to the public, the DEM Party delegation confirmed that "Öcalan's health was very good and his morale was very high."

The timing of this meeting and the substance of Öcalan's message are deeply significant, coming on the heels of a series of momentous developments. On Thursday, October 30, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted the same DEM Party delegation at the presidential palace in Ankara for the third time, a clear sign of a sustained and high-level political dialogue.

The delegation, consisting of Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, stated after that meeting that they had conducted a "detailed assessment" of the current stage of the process and had reached a "common understanding and consensus" with Erdoğan on the steps needed for the process to proceed "faster and more effectively."

This political engagement is taking place in the context of the PKK's own historic and tangible steps toward de-escalation.

The organization recently announced that it has begun the withdrawal of its forces from Turkish soil, a decision that followed its 12th Congress, where the momentous decision for organizational dissolution and an end to the armed struggle was made.

This withdrawal is the most concrete demonstration yet of the Kurdish movement's commitment to the new peace process, and it has created a new and unprecedented opportunity for a political solution.

The message from İmralı, with its emphasis on a shared 1000-year history and its call for a solution rooted in the laws of the Turkish Republic, appears to be a carefully crafted and strategic response to this new reality.

It is a message that seeks to reassure the Turkish state and public that the goal is not separation but integration into a more democratic and inclusive republic, while simultaneously holding the government to its own promises of reform.

As the armed conflict of the past four decades gives way to the complex and challenging work of political negotiation, Öcalan's voice from his prison cell continues to be the most influential and defining force in shaping the path toward what many hope will be a lasting and just peace.