KCK Says No Contact with Öcalan Since May, Urges Action on Peace Process
In a statement issued on Thursday, the KCK said no meetings have taken place with Öcalan since May 24. According to the organization, authorities had been expected to evaluate proposals submitted by Öcalan during that meeting and later communicate the outcome to him.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) announced on Thursday that it has had no contact with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan since May 24, saying Turkish authorities have yet to respond to proposals he presented as part of the ongoing peace process.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the KCK said no meetings have taken place with Öcalan since May 24. According to the organization, authorities had been expected to evaluate proposals submitted by Öcalan during that meeting and later communicate the outcome to him.
The KCK said that no response has been delivered and that there has been no further communication or development regarding the process.
Despite expressing frustration over the lack of progress, the organization said it continued to support efforts aimed at advancing peace.
"Within this framework, even if we consider them insufficient, we nevertheless viewed the report of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission positively," the statement said.
The KCK also reiterated the outcome of the PKK's 12th Congress, which decided that dissolving the organization's structure and ending its armed struggle should be carried out under Öcalan's leadership. It argued that such a process can only be implemented if he is granted what it described as "free working conditions."
The statement reaffirmed the group's longstanding position, saying it would not accept any political process conducted without Öcalan's direct involvement or without changes to his conditions of detention.
"Unless a positive approach is taken toward Öcalan's case and concrete steps are taken in this regard, no one can implement the decisions adopted at the PKK Congress," the statement said.
Türkiye's latest peace initiative began on October 22, 2024, when Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), called for a renewed effort to resolve the decades-long conflict.
On December 28, 2024, a delegation from the DEM Party, including Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, met Öcalan at İmralı Prison. During the meeting, Öcalan emphasized the importance of strengthening the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood and called on all political actors in Türkiye to contribute constructively to the process.
A ceasefire was declared on March 1, 2025, paving the way for dialogue. The PKK later held its 12th Congress from May 5 to 7, 2025, where it announced the decision to dissolve its organizational structure and end its armed struggle.
On July 11, 2025, a group of 30 PKK members led by Besê Hozat publicly burned their weapons during a ceremony near Jasana Cave, marking a symbolic step in the implementation of the congress' decisions.