Anniversary of historic call of 27 February

After Abdullah Ocalan launched the call for “Peace and a Democratic Society” on 27 February 2025, the region witnessed numerous political, military, and social developments over the course of a year within the framework of this call. Although the Freedom Movement took significant steps and Abdullah Ocalan made substantial efforts toward a democratic solution to the Kurdish question and the broader issues of the Middle East, the Turkish state has so far taken no comparable step. The process continues in an atmosphere of anticipation and uncertainty.

The Historic Call and Its Outcomes

On 27 February 2025, a delegation composed of politicians, lawyers, and members of parliament Ahmet Türk, Pervin Buldan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Tuncer Bakırhan, Cengiz Çiçek, and Faik Özgür Erol traveled to İmralı Island to meet Abdullah Ocalan. The delegation returned the same day and issued a statement in Istanbul, Turkey, during which Ocalan’s message was read aloud. The statement was followed live and extensively by the public in many cities across Kurdistan, Turkey, and around the world.

In his message, Abdullah Ocalan issued the call for “Peace and a Democratic Society” and urged the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to convene its congress and decide on dissolving itself.

On 9 July, after 26 years, the first video statement by Abdullah Ocalan was released. In it, he delivered a new message and took another historic step, stating: “I do not believe in the power of weapons; I believe in the power of politics and societal peace. I call on you as well to adopt this approach.”

On 3 October, during a meeting with a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), he said: “I propose that democratic negotiations prevail in all political and social relations.”

The PKK responds to the call

On 1 March 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced a unilateral ceasefire in response to Abdullah Ocalan’s call. The party held its 12th Congress between 5–7 May 2025 and decided to dissolve its organizational structure and end the armed struggle.

Burning of weapons and the withdrawal decision

On 11 July, 30 male and female PKK fighters, calling themselves the “Peace and Democratic Society Group,” burned their weapons in a ceremony held in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Southern Kurdistan. Bese Hozat, Co-Chair of the Executive Council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), who read the statement during the ceremony, declared: “Weapons are no longer an obstacle. It is now the other side’s turn.” The event was followed by hundreds of journalists from Turkey, Kurdistan, and around the world, as well as many politicians, intellectuals, and organizations, and it received wide international coverage.

On 26 October, the leadership of the Freedom Movement announced in a press conference that, with the approval of Abdullah Ocalan, military forces would be repositioned and groups withdrawn from Turkey. This announcement also resonated widely in Turkey and internationally.

On 17 November, the General Command of the People’s Defense Forces announced that on 16 November it had withdrawn its forces from the Zap region in the Medya Defense Zones an area facing military danger to other areas.

Bese Hozat: we will work within democratic politics

On 28 November, marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of the PKK, Bese Hozat stated: “We will move toward working within the framework of democratic politics and building a democratic society.”

To advance the process, Abdullah Ocalan took another step. In a meeting on 18 May with the DEM Party delegation, he stated: “There is a need for a new social contract based on brotherhood. What we have done represents a major shift in the intellectual paradigm,” and he called for the formation of a commission in the Turkish parliament.

Formation of the commission

Following the weapon-burning ceremony, pressure mounted on the Turkish state to take reciprocal steps. On 5 August 2025, the parties represented in the Turkish parliament formed the “Democracy, Brotherhood, and National Unity Commission,” consisting of 50 members of parliament. During 2025, the commission held 21 meetings and heard from 137 individuals and institutions.

On 24 November, MPs from the DEM Party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) met with Abdullah Ocalan on behalf of the commission. On 4 December 2025, the commission held its 19th meeting to discuss the encounter and released a brief summary of its content. However, many parties and groups considered this insufficient and demanded full disclosure of the meeting’s substance.

On 18 February 2026, the commission prepared its report, which was approved at its 21st meeting by 47 votes to 2. Nevertheless, many parties criticized both the report and the language used in it.

KCK strongly criticizes the report

On 22 February 2026, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) strongly criticized the report, stating: “There are fundamental shortcomings in the report. In order to prevent the Kurds from benefiting from democracy, there is insistence on moving away from the path of democratization. The Kurdish issue is being concealed under the label of ‘terrorism.’ Full disarmament is only possible through accepting a solution to the Kurdish issue. Disarmament is possible through democratic integration. For the process to proceed properly, Abdullah Ocalan must be released.”

The “right to hope”

Following statements by Devlet Bahçeli and Abdullah Ocalan’s historic call, the issue of the “Right to Hope” was placed on the agenda. Political parties, civil society organizations, human rights institutions, bar associations, intellectuals, politicians, and the Kurdish people and their supporters in Turkey, Kurdistan, and worldwide called for the implementation of the “Right to Hope” and for Ocalan’s physical freedom.

On 17 September 2025, mass marches were held in the cities of Amed (Diyarbakır) and Van in Northern Kurdistan, and in Mersin, Turkey, demanding implementation of the “Right to Hope.” On 21 October, the DEM Party submitted a proposal to the Turkish parliament on the matter.

Although the term “Right to Hope” was not explicitly mentioned in the commission’s report, it referred to the need to comply with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, which had ruled on 18 March 2014 that Turkey had violated the right to defense and that Abdullah Ocalan should therefore be retried.

Conferences related to the process

On 6–7 December, the DEM Party organized the “International Conference for Peace and a Democratic Society” in Istanbul. Intellectuals, politicians, and journalists from Kurdistan, Turkey, and many countries participated. The conference featured diverse perspectives and assessments regarding the solution and generated wide resonance and differing analyses. During the event, a message from Abdullah Ocalan was read by Veysi Aktaş.

Veysi Aktaş had been arrested in 1994 for supporting the Kurdish cause and was released on 25 July 2025 after 31 years and three months. He had been transferred to İmralı Prison in 2015. After his release, he began grassroots activities to explain the process to the public.

Parties in Southern Kurdistan declare support for the process

On 1 September, a conference titled “Peace in Turkey Achieved with Difficulty” was held in Hewlêr (Erbil), Southern Kurdistan. Politicians from Northern Kurdistan, members of the İmralı delegation, and officials and politicians from Southern Kurdistan participated. Abdullah Ocalan sent a message to the conference stating: “If this process succeeds in Turkey, the fate of the entire Middle East will change.”

On 19 November 2025, the “Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS)” was held in Duhok, Southern Kurdistan, with the participation of numerous politicians, intellectuals, journalists, and officials from various regions and countries. From North and East Syria, Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration, and Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, participated.

Impact on Rojava and Syria

One of the fields most affected by the process was Rojava (Western Kurdistan) and Syria, where many activities were carried out to strengthen and promote the process.

In Syria, the Turkish state’s justifications for attacks diminished or were no longer able to escalate as before. Abdullah Ocalan proposed a model of local democracy in Syria. On 10 March 2025, an eight-point agreement was signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Interim Government aimed at democratizing Syria.

However, some international and regional powers, including Turkey, attempted to sabotage these meetings. As a result, armed groups supported by the Turkish state and forces affiliated with the Interim Government launched attacks: on 6 January against the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo; on 17 January against Deir Hafer and Tabqa; and on 18 January against Raqqa. These attacks sought to incite conflict between Kurds and Arabs.

The Kurdish people and many parties described these attacks as a “second conspiracy,” similar to the conspiracy of 9 October and 15 February 1999 (the international conspiracy), aimed at eliminating the Kurdish people.

Abdullah Ocalan intervened in efforts to halt the massacres against the Kurdish people, and on 29 January these efforts resulted in an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Interim Government within the framework of democratic integration. Although some steps were taken, the Interim Government has not yet taken substantial measures, such as lifting the siege imposed on Kobani.

Ocalan’s efforts for Kurdish unity

The İmralı delegation visited Rojava for the first time on 28 December 2024 and, after meeting Abdullah Ocalan on 22 January 2025, traveled to the Kurdistan region.

Between 15–19 February 2025, the delegation held meetings with officials and parties in the Kurdistan region, addressing the process and the issue of Kurdish unity.

Based on Abdullah Ocalan’s evaluations and calls regarding Kurdish unity, the “Conference on Kurdish Unity and Common Position in Rojava” was held on 26 April 2025 in Qamishlo. More than 400 representatives of Kurdish parties and forces from Rojava, Northern Kurdistan, Southern Kurdistan, and other areas of Syria participated. At the conclusion, a unity statement was issued and a delegation was formed to negotiate with Damascus.

Ocalan’s latest message

“Democratic integration” was among the issues most emphasized by Abdullah Öcalan. In the latest meeting between the İmralı delegation and Ocalan on 16 February 2026, he stated: “The first phase has ended. This meeting marks the entry into the phase of integration.”

DEM party to issue statement today

The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) is scheduled to hold a program today in Ankara, Turkey, marking the anniversary of Abdullah Ocalan’s call for Peace and a Democratic Society. The party delegation and its co-chairs will participate. During the event, a new message from Abdullah Ocalan will be released to the public, and the current stage of the process will be discussed.

ANHA