Öcalan’s message sparks both hope and skepticism

The delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) held a press conference yesterday at the Elit World Taksim Hotel in İstanbul to share PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s message with the public following their third meeting with him at the İmralı island prison.

The delegation included Ahmet Türk, Pervin Buldan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Tuncer Bakırhan, Cengiz Çiçek, and party members, as well as Faik Özgür Erol, a lawyer from the Asrın Law Office.  

Heightened security and media attention  

Strict security measures were in place around the hotel. A large number of police officers were stationed outside, while live broadcast vehicles from both national and international media outlets were on standby in the area. More than 300 journalists from 140 different media organizations gathered at the hotel to cover the announcement and Öcalan’s call.  

The main hall, where the event took place, was packed with journalists, politicians, human rights advocates, and academics. Due to the high number of attendees, a second hall was opened for viewers, primarily allocated to representatives from women’s and feminist movements.  

Shortly before the event began, DEM Party MPs, along with the co-mayors of Diyarbakır, Van, and Mardin, arrived in the hall. They were followed by members of the Peace Mothers and the Saturday Mothers/People, who entered the room to a standing ovation. The atmosphere was charged with excitement, and there was a strong sense of anticipation regarding the content of Öcalan’s statement.  

Statements from the DEM Party delegation  

As the clock approached 5.00 pm, the DEM Party delegation entered the hall. İstanbul MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder delivered the opening speech, describing the moment as “a historic turning point in a positive sense.” He expressed gratitude to those who had contributed to the peace process, specifically mentioning the victims of the Ankara Train Station Massacre and the Academics for Peace. He also emphasized the significance of peace for all segments of society, addressing the families of soldiers and police officers who had lost their lives in the decades-long conflict.  

Following Önder’s speech, a recent photograph of Abdullah Öcalan was projected onto the screen—his first new image in 12 years.  

The photograph showed Öcalan alongside the visiting delegation, as well as Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar, and Veysi Aktaş, who are also imprisoned at İmralı F-Type Prison. The image was met with resounding applause in the hall.

Öcalan’s message and its repercussions

Ahmet Türk was the first to read Öcalan’s statement in Kurdish, and following the call, the room erupted in enthusiasm. After the Kurdish announcement, DEM Party MPs, elected co-mayors, and many attendees stood up and applauded the call with ululations.

Pervin Buldan then read Öcalan’s message in Turkish. In his statement, Öcalan called on the PKK to lay down arms and declared that he was assuming the “historic responsibility” of this call:

“Just as every contemporary society and party whose existence has not been forcibly ended would voluntarily do, convene your congress and make a decision to integrate with the state and society; all groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself.

In this climate shaped by Mr. Devlet Bahçeli’s call, the will demonstrated by the Honorable President, and the positive approaches of other political parties toward this well-known call, I am making a call for disarmament and assuming the historical responsibility of this call.”

However, the message did not outline a detailed framework regarding how or under what conditions the organization should disarm.

While the Kurdish announcement was met with a round of applause, the atmosphere in the hall became more cautious after the Turkish version was read. Some in the audience viewed the call as the beginning of a new era, while others expressed disappointment, stating that this was not the statement they had been expecting.

Uncertainty about the process

One of the most debated points following the event was a note not included in Öcalan’s official statement but conveyed separately by Sırrı Süreyya Önder: “Undoubtedly, in practice, the laying down of arms and the dissolution of the PKK require the recognition of democratic politics and a legal framework.”

This note, which became as much a topic of discussion as the call itself, suggested that for the PKK to disarm and dissolve, the democratic political sphere needed to be expanded and the legal framework had to acknowledge and support the new process. Many interpreted these remarks as an indication that the legal and political dimensions of the process remained unclear.

Meanwhile, DEM Party sources told bianet that Öcalan’s call was directed solely at the PKK and did not include armed groups in Syria.

As the DEM Party is expected to make further statements about the process in the coming days, there is ongoing speculation about how Öcalan’s call will influence political dynamics in the region and beyond.

Following the announcement, Salih Muslim, a member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Mezopotamya Agency (MA): “Now it’s Turkey’s turn—what steps will they take?” (TY/VK)