Freedom Movement: Progress towards peace, democracy linked to Leader's status, legal steps

The leadership of the Apoci Movement held a press conference in the Medya Defense Areas, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) dissolution conference, in which it discussed the latest developments in the peace process and democratic society.

The press conference was attended by KCK (Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu and KCK General Presidency Council member Sozdar Avesta. After the statement, they answered journalists' questions about the peace process, democratic society, and the current agenda. Sozdar Avesta read the statement in Kurdish, while Mustafa Karasu read it in Turkish.

The statement by the Apoist Movement leadership, announced during the press conference, said the following:

"We are holding this press conference between May 5-7, the anniversary of the 12th Congress of the PKK. It has been one year since our decision to dissolve the PKK and end the armed struggle against Turkey. During this year, we want to assess what has happened. Within the framework of the peace process and democratic society, what has the liberation movement done, and what has the Turkish state done? We will try to answer the questions that interest the public.

Leader Apo, in his call issued on February 27, 2025, explained the circumstances that led to the PKK's development and outlined the reasons for that. Based on the outcome of the movement's developments over 50 years, the leader called for the dissolution of the PKK and an end to the armed struggle against Turkey. Following this call, our movement announced a unilateral ceasefire on March 1.

After this call, many circles and individuals expressed their belief that the PKK would not act in accordance with it. However, the PKK, which emerged as the leader's movement and continues its struggle on the leader's path, convened its congress within a short period. The PKK translated the leader's call into practical reality without hesitation; in this framework, it made the decision to dissolve the PKK and end the armed struggle against Turkey. At the conclusion of this, it was emphasized that leader Apo alone is capable of practically implementing these decisions on the ground and managing the peace process and democratic society as the lead negotiator.

Since 1993 until today, leader Apo has announced unilateral ceasefires more than once to pave the way for a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue. Within this framework, he presented multiple proposals for a solution and approached them rationally, in an approach rarely seen globally. However, Turkey did not have a political solution at that time, which led to the failure of those efforts. On October 22, 2024, the current ruling partner and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, made an appeal, to which leader Apo responded positively, on the possibility that a genuine will for a solution might emerge from within state institutions.

Our liberation movement, given its confidence in leader Apo's ability to find a solution, took such decisive decisions as dissolving the PKK and ending the armed struggle. Such major steps alone can pave the way for a democratic solution. In this regard, we wanted to demonstrate our will and determination in decision-making. For this reason, on July 11, 2025, the Co-Chair of the KCK Executive Council, Bese Hozat, along with 30 of our female and male fighter comrades, burned their weapons. This proved that when appropriate political conditions are built and necessary legal steps are taken, thousands of other fighters will also lay down their weapons. At that time, Devlet Bahçeli also stated in this framework that those who destroyed their weapons should return to Turkey by enacting necessary laws. In this way, Devlet Bahçeli put forward a vision for how to return to Turkey.

We, as the liberation movement, and in order to end the armed struggle and enable our will to be expressed in a political-democratic solution, have withdrawn our forces from within Turkey's borders to outside. We also evacuated some of our positions in legitimate defense areas to avoid any potential clashes. Additionally, we handed over some Turkish intelligence officials whom we had captured in 2017.

We have taken all these steps so far in order to advance the political and legal steps that could lead to a political democratic solution. Within the framework of this process, some meetings were held in Imrali with our leader, and the bodies of some of our martyrs were received in the legitimate defense areas. Apart from these issues, no other concrete steps have been taken so far on this path.

We have always worked to prepare Kurdish public opinion for reaching a political-democratic solution, sending positive messages to the peoples of Turkey, alongside adopting a sensitive approach to this issue. However, some spokespersons of the authority and media outlets close to them did not contribute to preparing public opinion; on the contrary, they worked to create negative feelings and ideas and put forward opposing stances. Moreover, the negative approach towards the opposition has prevented the process from receiving social support to some extent.

We also saw that the committee formed in parliament is a positive thing, but the report preparation process took a long time, public opinion was not well prepared, and although the primary interlocutor is the leader who is the party to the solution, the parliamentary committee held only one meeting with the leader during this process. As a result, the committee prepared a report. Despite its shortcomings, this report could have positive effects on the ground; however, its content and proposals have not yet been implemented. This shows that the authority does not approach the peace process and democratic society with seriousness and sincerity.

Leader Apo launched this process on February 27, 2025, with the 'Call for Peace and Democratic Society' and accelerated it. He seeks to end a century of conflict and violence between Turkey and the Kurdish people, to build a democratic republic where the Kurdish issue is resolved through democratic integration, and efforts are made in this framework. However, for leader Apo to play his role in achieving this goal, he must be recognized as an official interlocutor. Then it will become clear whether the state has a genuine will to solve the Kurdish issue. A genuine resolution process cannot begin without recognizing the legal interlocutor status of leader Apo and determining this position.

Leader Apo has repeatedly emphasized that meetings and statements will have no meaning or results unless his legal status is clarified. If his legal and political status is determined, and he can hold meetings on this basis with various parties, then he can play his role effectively. However, intermittent meetings with delegations do not allow him to play his fundamental role; this is not possible under such circumstances.

The Kurdish issue is the most fundamental issue in Turkey, and leader Apo is the primary interlocutor in it. The current approach towards him shows that this century-old issue is not being resolved properly. Despite this fact, statements by the Speaker of Parliament and AK Party officials that the process is ongoing do not reflect the existing reality. Only when leader Apo's status is determined and he is allowed to work freely can we speak of progress in the process. Only then will the Kurdish people and public opinion believe in its progress, and support for it will rapidly increase.

For the peace process and democratic society to advance, leader Apo's status must be determined by a political decision. Also, legal steps should be taken to ensure that democratic politics advance freely. Laying down arms and fully engaging in democratic politics are linked to taking legal steps. This fact has been known to all parties since the beginning of the process until now. Therefore, the debate revolves around legal steps and the legal system. Ultimately, statements that link taking legal steps to 'verification and confirmation of laying down arms' do not reflect the truth; rather, they further confuse public opinion. On one hand, it is said that laws have been enacted for democratic politics to advance freely and to guarantee freedom of expression and association; on the other hand, it is said, 'We will not lay down arms, we will not come.' On the contrary, leader Apo has called from the beginning for preparing a legal ground to accelerate the process. Officials have announced that legal steps will be taken after the holiday, but so far, the necessary measures to advance the process have not been taken.

We, the Kurdish liberation movement, decided at the conference where the PKK was dissolved and the armed struggle against Turkey was ended, that the peace process and democratic society should be managed under the leadership of leader Apo. He is the lead negotiator and pioneer of this process. Accordingly, his political status as the primary interlocutor must be determined, and he must be enabled to work in free conditions. Only in this way can the process be managed correctly and reach conclusions. We have done what was necessary during this process; no one expected us to take such steps to this level. From now on, to achieve concrete results, leader Apo's status must be determined and the necessary legal steps taken. This is our demand, as well as the demand and expectation of our people and democratic forces."

A-H

ANHA