DEM Party Spokesperson: Ocalan's Message Opens New Phase, Urges Turkey to Take Legal Steps for Peace

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Following the release of a new message by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, the spokesperson of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) said the statement represents the beginning of a new phase, urging the Turkish government to take concrete legal steps to advance the peace process.

On Friday, Aysegul Dogan, spokesperson for the DEM Party, told Kurdistan24 in a special statement that they are awaiting legal measures to ensure the success of the peace process.

“We are expecting legal steps to advance the peace process, and Turkish officials must take legal measures,” Dogan said. “This call is very important for us, because Turkish society and the Middle East need it. The call also contains a proposal for a solution.”

She added that after Ocalan’s initial appeal, the PKK took what she described as a positive step.

“The PKK’s disarmament and self-dissolution following Ocalan’s call are not tactical decisions, but strategic ones,” she said.

Dogan stated that the first step taken by the PKK was to lay down arms, but that a second step must now begin from the state’s side in the form of legal action.

“In Ocalan’s message, it was clearly stated that this process cannot be carried out by one side alone. We expect a new phase to begin,” she said.

The DEM Party spokesperson stressed that they want the process to reach its objective and succeed, adding that the necessary mechanisms must be adopted by the government, not merely discussed through media platforms.

“The issue and the core work of the justice minister must be to ensure the success of this process, and concrete steps must be taken. The PKK’s disarmament must continue and not stop,” she said.

She further emphasized that individuals who have laid down their arms must be provided with a legal framework allowing them to return freely and without obstacles to their country.

Earlier on Friday, Abdullah Ocalan released a new message in which he stated: “Turks cannot exist without Kurds, and Kurds cannot exist without Turks. This dialectical relationship has an authentic historical character. The foundational texts of the Republic’s establishment demonstrated the unity of Turks and Kurds.”

Ocalan also said that it is now necessary to move from a negative phase to a constructive, positive one, opening the way for a new political era and strategy.

“Our goal is to end the era of violent politics and to initiate a process based on democratic society and the rule of law,” he stated. “We call on all segments of society to create opportunities in this regard and to assume responsibility.”

He further noted that citizenship must be based on a relationship with the state rather than ethnic identity.

“We defend a free citizenship that prioritizes freedom of religion, nationality, and opinion. Just as religion and language cannot be imposed, nationality must not be imposed either,” Ocalan said.

The statements mark a new chapter in discussions surrounding the peace process in Türkiye, as political actors await concrete legal steps from the state.