The process initiated by President Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” on 27 February reached a critical turning point with the weapon-burning ceremony held in Southern Kurdistan (Başur).
Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever, co-chairs of the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E), which represents the organized Kurdish diaspora, spoke to ANF. They evaluated both President Öcalan’s video message and the Peace and Democratic Society Group’s disarmament, as well as their expectations from European states.
What did you personally feel when President Öcalan’s video message came after 26 years?
Zübeyde Zümrüt: As a Kurdish woman, I was deeply moved. Through this struggle, I discovered my identity, both as a Kurd and as a woman. I have tried to exist through this movement. So, for me, hearing President Öcalan’s voice is a feeling that truly cannot be described. As the saying goes, it felt like a real holiday.
His voice was strong and vibrant. It gave us renewed morale and motivation. A powerful sense of determination emerged. Of course, this is not enough; it is only a beginning and marks a new phase. A new chapter in Kurdish history is being written.
Ms. Zümrüt said, “A new chapter in history is being written.” What would you like to add?
Engin Sever: Personally, I opened my eyes to life with the first emergence of this struggle. Every child has a hero they admire from television; for every Kurd, there is a guerrilla hero in their heart. For the Kurdish people, for Kurdish children and Kurdish women, the guerrilla has always been an irreplaceable figure. Everyone saw the guerrilla as a pioneer, as a way of life.
Taking up arms was a method of struggle the Kurds were forced to adopt under mandatory conditions, for their existence, their identity, their language, and the right to live freely on their own land. President Öcalan expressed this clearly in all his statements.
In this process, hearing President Öcalan’s voice, seeing his image, and listening to him address his people in his own voice created tremendous excitement. We lived through the early days of the conspiracy, 15 February 1999, firsthand in Europe. We are talking about a people who cried, who took to the streets, who set their bodies on fire, and who, under the slogan “You Cannot Darken Our Sun,” turned themselves into blazing rings of fire. Within this history of genocide, President Öcalan built a system that recreated itself from nothing.
Emotionally, millions of Kurds experienced very intense feelings today. Yet every one of them stood with pride, heads held high, and with a clear conscience. Because it was the Kurdish people who ended the armed struggle they themselves had begun, through their own strength. They will now rebuild themselves within the framework of the peace and democratic society envisioned by President Öcalan.
President Öcalan made a historic move. We call it historic because he proposed a manifesto for peace and a democratic society in the face of chaos, war, and violence. This is a step that only globally recognized leaders and true pioneers can dare to take.
For this reason, rallying around President Öcalan should be the moral duty of everyone who wants to live with dignity. On this basis, the state also needs to take concrete steps. Everyone knows that this peace and the struggle for a democratic society cannot be carried out unilaterally. That is why this struggle must continue.
President Öcalan made his Call for Peace and a Democratic Society on 27 February, followed by the PKK dissolving itself during its 12th Congress held between 5–7 May. Then came another call by President Öcalan on 9 June. And just yesterday, the Peace and Democratic Society Group declared that it had destroyed its weapons of its own free will. Considering this entire process, what role should European states play? What are your expectations of them?
Zübeyde Zümrüt: Of course, the role of Europe is important. Europe must play a role in the resolution of the Kurdish question. Many states around the world supported the 27 February call and issued statements. But in this process, support alone is not enough.
Europe needs to be directly involved in this issue and take on a role in its resolution. If Europe takes responsibility in this matter, the process will not be prolonged. Turkey’s relations with European countries, both politically and economically, will be affected by this process.
What kind of role can they play? For instance, the PKK is banned in Germany and France. In some countries, it is on a watch list. What kind of involvement do you expect?
Zübeyde Zümrüt: Germany, in particular, needs to change its political stance toward the Kurds. The ban on the PKK leads to the criminalization of Kurds as a whole, and this negatively affects the entire process. Political work and activism carried out in Germany and in many other European countries face serious obstacles due to this ban.
Almost every Kurd involved in political activities is either prosecuted or put on trial. Currently, more than twenty Kurdish politicians are imprisoned in Germany. Germany must abandon this approach that criminalizes Kurds and remove the PKK from the list of banned organizations. The PKK has dissolved itself. Legally, there is no longer any justification for the continuation of this ban.
Germany’s political position is decisive within Europe, and it also plays a critical role in relation to Turkey. Therefore, Germany must be directly involved in the call and struggle for peace and a democratic society. It must not remain on the sidelines, it must take part. How can this involvement look?
Germany has strong political and diplomatic ties with Turkey. It should use these relationships to support a resolution to this issue and help strengthen the process. In reality, this is not just a Kurdish issue; it is also a broader Middle Eastern issue. And that issue is closely linked to the Kurdish question. Solving the Kurdish issue means solving the crisis of the Middle East as well. If lasting peace is truly desired, it can only be achieved through the resolution of the Kurdish question.
What role can European states play in this process?
Engin Sever: For years, there has been political, economic, military, and diplomatic cooperation with the Turkish state. As a NATO member, Turkey works with European countries and makes joint decisions with them. Therefore, they are in a position to take decisions that can influence the Turkish state.
It should also be noted that since 1993, starting with Germany, the PKK has been banned across Europe. After 2002, European Union member states followed suit and imposed the same ban. Under this ban, for the past 32 years, all activities carried out by Kurds in Europe, especially in Germany, have been subjected to criminalization.
Many individuals, including politicians engaged in civil society, were detained; some were deported, others were banned from traveling. Many were sentenced to various penalties or had their residence permits revoked. European states, particularly Germany, must abandon these anti-Kurdish policies.
Because Kurds live here. Today, there are more than 3.5 million people from Kurdistan living in Europe, with over 2 million in Germany alone. We are talking about millions of Kurds who go to school, work, and pay taxes.
Banning their institutions means banning their language and culture. It is effectively an attempt to impose an assimilation policy. The Kurdish people have already experienced these policies intensely in Turkey during the 1990s. Homes were raided at dawn, people were detained, arrested, and forced into exile. The fact that the same policies are being applied in 2025 shows how Europe continues to approach the Kurdish question.
As representatives of Kurdish institutions, we are not asking for a separate law for Kurds. We are simply asking that existing laws be followed. For example, under Article 129b, bans were introduced targeting organizations linked to foreign terrorist groups. In principle, Kurds were not included in this scope. Yet the laws being enforced in Germany today are directly applied to the Kurdish people.
People who are involved in civil society organizations, cultural associations, or even in language initiatives are being arrested. These practices must end immediately, both for the sake of justice and so that European states can positively influence the Turkish government. Because the law should be binding for everyone.
It is also important to note that the Council of Europe has issued a decision regarding President Öcalan, and last year, it gave Turkey a one-year deadline to implement this ruling. With that deadline expiring in September, the Turkish state is now expected to take steps under the scope of the “right to hope.”
Following President Öcalan’s Call for a Democratic Society, relevant institutions must urgently take action. Because the person who can lead and manage this process is President Öcalan. Without securing his physical freedom, it is impossible to speak of peace, the construction of a democratic society, or coexistence.
Likewise, Europe must immediately abandon its anti-Kurdish policies, starting with the ban on the PKK. The repression, criminalization, and stigmatization of the activities carried out in our civil society organizations, democratic society centers, assemblies, and federations must come to an end so that we may build a democratic society together in the upcoming period.
Since 1982, the Kurdish people have created an organizational network in Europe. They have established associations and carried out their work in accordance with the association laws of the countries they reside in.
There is not a single document proving that any illegal activity has been conducted in these associations. We believe that detentions and repressive measures are carried out solely due to the political relationship these countries maintain with the Turkish state. Until now, no concrete evidence has been presented.
Therefore, our institutional call is this: in a process where the PKK has laid down its arms and President Öcalan has issued a “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,” necessary steps must be taken without delay. Of course, there have already been many positive statements. Germany’s Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were among the first to issue a response. Shortly afterwards, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and France also made statements, welcomed the process, and emphasized that the Turkish state must take both political and legal steps.
We expect the same from European states, for the Kurdish people living in the diaspora. Legal and constitutional frameworks must be established without delay, and anti-Kurdish policies must be abandoned. All politicians currently in custody or imprisoned must be released immediately so that we can build social peace together. We believe that Germany, first and foremost, as well as France, the United Kingdom, and all other countries, will take these necessary steps.
Over the past two years, starting from 10 October 2023, the Kurdish people have launched the campaign “Solution to the Kurdish Question, Freedom for President Öcalan,” with the participation of many friends and politicians. The ground we are standing on today is the direct result of that campaign and struggle. This stage was reached through that resistance.
Thousands of lawyers and legal experts have submitted applications. Nearly 70 politicians, authors, and several prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureates, have issued calls. And these calls are continuing. Just about ten days ago, a peace delegation went to Istanbul. The members of the delegation submitted an official request and stated: “We want to meet with President Öcalan, hear him, and engage in dialogue with him.”
Today, we are speaking of millions of people across the world who stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people’s struggle for democracy and peace.
For this reason, states and political leaders must shape their policies in accordance with this reality. Only in this way can we advance the struggle for a democratic society together in the coming period. We believe in this deeply, and our belief is unwavering.
One final question. In both President Öcalan’s Call for Peace and a Democratic Society and the recent statement made by the PKK, there was a strong emphasis on reconstruction. This reconstruction and organization were framed within the context of peace and a democratic society. How will the Kurdish communities and institutions in Europe respond to this call for reconstruction? What would you like to say about that?
Zübeyde Zümrüt: This process will be organized. The struggle continues. This is just the beginning. As the name itself suggests: the construction of peace and a democratic society. Therefore, the Kurdish population living in Europe and in the diaspora must organize their democratic struggle on a democratic basis.
There is already an existing organizational structure, and it is quite strong. Especially with the waves of migration and exile in recent years, the Kurdish population in the diaspora has grown significantly. Today, there are more than 4 million Kurds living in Europe. Like all other peoples, this population must organize itself. It must also organize to protect and develop its language and culture. We have confederal structures, with the KCDK-E at the top. Therefore, this structure must be expanded and strengthened.
As for the period ahead, we have already held hundreds of meetings across Europe and the diaspora. As I have stated in many previous programs and I want to emphasize it again here: where President Öcalan is, there can be no defeat. Society has complete trust and deep belief in this. We, as Kurds living in Europe, are the direct carriers of responsibility for this process, and we will continue to carry it forward.
Together with our people, we will continue this struggle until lasting peace is achieved. We have always stood on the side of peace. We have always expressed our desire to live together with all peoples. Today, as well, it is with that same desire for peaceful coexistence that we will build the process of peace and democratic society together with all peoples.
Engin Sever: How will we, in Europe, respond to this process? In fact, since 2005, we have entered a phase of transformation and change. In the past, our primary focus was to support the political ground and struggle in Kurdistan. But now, we no longer see ourselves merely as supporters, we position ourselves as direct actors, as the central subject of the democratic society struggle.
To this end, we can say that we will expand the democratic society work we have been carrying out for years and move toward comprehensive institutionalization. We already have a network that produces perspectives on diplomacy, culture, children’s issues, women, and youth, leading efforts, developing projects, and organizing activities in all these areas. Now we will expand this network even further.
As I have stated before, we also have a responsibility to accurately convey the Kurdish people and their struggle to those who criminalize or misunderstand them. We will continue our efforts to bring the paradigm of democratic society to our friends and to all communities around us through the framework of societal diplomacy.
We are expanding our organizational structures at the level of federations and assemblies. Currently, there are more than 400 institutions and organizations under the umbrella of the KCDK-E. But considering that there are 3.5 million Kurds living in Europe, we recognize that this is not enough. Our goal is to transform this number into a broader and stronger institutional structure, measured in the thousands, by creating new spaces in diplomacy, culture, and academia.
To this end, we have initiated a period of discussion. We have held hundreds of community meetings. We have engaged with civil society organizations and institutions that are friends of the Kurdish people. During this process, we have conducted extensive work on how the Kurdish people in the European diaspora should organize.
Here, it must be clearly stated: the initiative launched around the demand for President Öcalan’s physical freedom forms the foundation of all our struggle and organizational mechanisms. Because the one who will lead the democratic society process, the one who will carry it forward, is President Öcalan. For this reason, his physical freedom must be secured without delay.
We once again express our commitment to building a network of struggle within the countries and societies we live in, one that is grounded in shared life, and rooted in our own language, diplomacy, culture, and identity. As co-chairs of KCDK-E, we want to make it clear that in the coming period, we will carry out the democratic society construction process with a spirit of mobilization, together with all of our institutions.
Source: ANF News
