DEM Party Leaders Call for Concrete Steps on Peace Process One Year After Öcalan Appeal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Senior officials from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Friday urged Turkish authorities to take substantive steps toward advancing the peace process, marking one year since Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” and ahead of the release of a new message from him.

Speaking on Feb. 27, 2026, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-chair of the DEM Party, described Öcalan’s 2025 appeal as “historic” and said serious measures were required to ensure progress.

“Öcalan's call was historic. It is necessary for everyone to live equally in the country, and serious steps must be taken toward the peace process. This process is not only for the Kurds, but for all citizens of Türkiye and for the triumph of democracy,” she said.

Hatimoğulları added that all communities in Türkiye would benefit from the process.

“All the peoples of Türkiye will benefit from this process. What Öcalan requested has been implemented by the PKK. The authorities must respond to Öcalan's call and make appropriate decisions. A new roadmap must be established, and the struggle must transition from weapons to politics,” she stated.

Her remarks came as another message from Abdullah Öcalan was scheduled to be released on the anniversary of his Feb. 27, 2025 appeal, which called for the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the convening of a congress to chart a political path forward.

Tuncer Bakırhan, General Co-chair of the DEM Party, also addressed attendees at the event, recalling figures involved in the initial phase of the peace initiative.

“When we speak of the commencement of the peace process, there were people with us whom we now remember from the heart. Sırrı Süreyya Önder worked very passionately for the success of this process, which is why we remember him from the heart. Furthermore, we reiterate our promise to him that we will continue on his path,” Bakırhan said.

Bakırhan stated that Öcalan’s February 27 call marked the beginning of a new stage.

“Following the February 27 call, in which Abdullah Öcalan announced the call for a peace and democracy congress, the peace process entered a new phase and another door was opened. For a century, the Kurdish people have had an issue in this country that remains unresolved,” he said.

He added that the call was framed as a democratic step toward resolving the Kurdish issue.

“This call was a step toward resolving the Kurdish issue through democracy. The February 27 call also encompasses Syria regarding how the Kurdish national issue should be resolved; this has improved the situation because it contains a message for peaceful coexistence,” Bakırhan said.

He further emphasized the need for collective participation in the process. “We at the DEM Party are among the people day and night, and we know well that peace and democracy cannot be achieved or succeed through a single side alone,” he stated.

The anniversary of Öcalan’s appeal has renewed attention to the sequence of developments that followed his initial message in 2025. After three meetings with a DEM Party delegation at Imrali Prison, Öcalan formally requested that the PKK dissolve itself and hold a congress.

The current peace initiative traces back to Nov. 26, 2024, when Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli launched a peace initiative. On Dec. 28, 2024, a DEM Party delegation consisting of Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder met with Öcalan at Imrali.

In his February 2025 message, Öcalan stated: “Strengthening Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood is not only a historical responsibility but a vital and urgent decisive issue for all peoples. To bolster this process, it is essential for all political circles in Türkiye to think beyond narrow, short-term calculations, take initiative, take constructive steps, and participate positively.”

On March 1, 2025, a ceasefire was declared, establishing what was described as a basis for dialogue. Between May 5 and 7, 2025, the PKK held its 12th Congress. On May 12, 2025, it announced the outcomes of that congress, including its organizational self-dissolution and the conclusion of its armed struggle.

In July 2025, as part of what was described as a goodwill gesture within the disarmament process, a group of 30 individuals led by KCK Co-chair Bese Hozat burned their weapons during a ceremony held in front of Jasana Cave in the Dukan district in Sulaimani. The event was presented as a public demonstration of the implementation of the congress decisions.

Despite these steps, criticism has emerged from Kurdish political actors regarding the pace of reciprocal measures by the state. Mustafa Karasu, a member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Council, said in a recent media interview that Türkiye has not taken serious steps toward advancing the peace process one year after Öcalan’s call.

Karasu stated that following Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” on Feb. 27, 2025, the PKK dissolved itself and ended its armed campaign. He said that despite these developments, the Turkish state has not taken the necessary and serious measures required for the process to move forward.

According to Karasu, progress requires that Öcalan be allowed to work freely and establish direct contact with the public, political parties, and society. He said enabling such engagement is essential for continuing dialogue.

Karasu also argued that clearer and more decisive legal measures are necessary to prevent the initiative from ending without resolution, as he said had occurred in previous peace efforts.

He called for the implementation of rulings issued by the European Court of Human Rights, an end to the appointment of trustees known as kayyums, and guarantees that individuals who laid down arms would be able to engage in democratic political activities upon returning to Türkiye.

He further criticized a parliamentary commission report addressing the Kurdish issue, stating that it contained deficiencies and that the terminology used did not accurately reflect the nature of the issue.

The anniversary of Öcalan’s call has therefore been marked by renewed political statements from both party leaders and KCK representatives. While the PKK’s dissolution, ceasefire declaration, and disarmament steps were framed as implementing the February 27 appeal, DEM Party officials on Friday stressed the need for corresponding legal and political measures by the authorities.

Hatimoğulları said that a new roadmap must be established and that the struggle must transition from weapons to politics. Bakırhan reiterated that peace and democracy require participation from all sides.

This article was updated on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, at 12:06pm.