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Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan (middle) poses for a photo with delegates who visited him in Imrali prison on February 27, 2025. Photo: DEM Party
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan on Thursday called on the group to lay down arms and dissolve itself.
"As every contemporary community and party that has not been forcibly ended would voluntarily do, convene your congress and decide for integration with the state and society; all groups should lay down their arms and the PKK should dissolve itself,” said Ocalan in a message read out by the delegation who visited him earlier on Thursday.
"The need for a democratic society is inevitable. The PKK, the longest and most comprehensive rebellion and violence movement in the history of the Republic, found power and support due to the closure of democratic political channels," he added.
In recent months, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has been spearheading peace efforts between Ankara and the PKK. Earlier in February, a DEM Party delegation visited the Kurdistan Region and met with senior Kurdish officials.
Previously, the delegation also met with most of the Turkish political parties to convey Ocalan’s message.
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) reacted to Ocalan's call.
"If the terrorist organization evaluates this call, lays down its arms, and disbands itself, Turkey will be freed from its shackles,” the Turkish state media cited the AKP deputy leader as saying.
PKK media has published Ocalan's message. PKK commanders on the ground have previously warned that they would not heed to such a call from its leader unless he meets them physically and chairs a leadership meeting.
Hopes of a renewed drive for peace in the country were boosted in October with ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli shaking hands with members of the DEM Party lawmakers in the legislature. Bahceli also proposed inviting Ocalan to address the Turkish parliament and declare the dissolution of the group, considered by Ankara to be a terror organization.
“The call made by Mr. Devlet Bahceli, along with the will expressed by Mr. President [Erdogan], and the positive responses from the other political parties towards the known call, has created an environment in which I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call,” Ocalan noted in his message.
The following is the full text of Ocalan's message:
Call for Peace and Democratic Society
PKK was born on the ground formed by the 20th century, which was history's most intense period of violence, including two world wars, real-socialism and global cold war environments, the denial of Kurdish reality, and restrictions on freedoms, especially freedom of expression.
In theory, program, strategy, and tactics, it remained heavily influenced by the real-socialist system reality of the century. In the 1990s, the collapse of real-socialism due to internal reasons and the dissolution of identity denial in the country, along with developments in freedom of expression, led to PKK's loss of meaning and excessive repetition. Therefore, it has completed its life like its counterparts and necessitated its dissolution.
Kurdish-Turkish relations: For over 1000 years, Turks and Kurds have seen it necessary to remain in an alliance with a strong voluntary aspect to maintain their existence and stand against hegemonic powers.
The last 200 years of capitalist modernity have made breaking this alliance its main goal.
Affected forces, along with their class foundations, have made serving this their primary purpose. This process accelerated with the Republic's uniform interpretations. Today, the main task is to reorganize this historical relationship, which has become very fragile, in a spirit of brotherhood without ignoring beliefs.
The need for a democratic society is inevitable. The PKK, the longest and most comprehensive rebellion and violence movement in the history of the Republic, found power and support due to the closure of democratic political channels.
Solutions such as separate nation-state, federation, administrative autonomy, and culturalist approaches, which are necessary results of extreme nationalist deviation, cannot respond to historical social sociology.
Respect for identities, their free expression and democratic organization, and the socio-economic and political structures that all segments consider essential for themselves are only possible with the existence of a democratic society and political space.
The second century of the Republic can only have permanent and fraternal continuity when crowned with democracy. There is no path outside of democracy for system searches and implementations. There cannot be. Democratic reconciliation is the fundamental method.
The language of the peace and democratic society period must also be developed in accordance with reality.
In this climate created by Mr. Devlet Bahceli's call, the will put forward by the President, and the positive approaches of other political parties toward the said call, I am calling for laying down arms and assuming the historical responsibility for this call.
As every contemporary community and party that has not been forcibly ended would voluntarily do, convene your congress and decide for integration with the state and society; all groups should lay down their arms and the PKK should dissolve itself.
I extend my greetings to all segments who believe in coexistence and heed my call.
Abdullah Ocalan,
February 25, 2025
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