Ocalan: It's time to establish legal framework that addresses all parties' sensitivities

On Tuesday, the Imrali delegation issued a statement regarding its meeting with Abdullah Ocalan on Imrali Island on Monday.

The statement as translated by ANF included:

"To the media and the public,

As the DEM Party İmralı Delegation, we held a comprehensive meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan after a long interval. During the meeting, we discussed in detail political developments in the region, the construction of a democratic society, the current stage of the peace process, and how the legal framework should be shaped.

During the meeting, Mr. Öcalan made the following remarks for public release:

"Remaining faithful to the spirit of the February 27 call, we continue to act with determination to take steps and resolve this issue within the framework of the law of brotherhood. We are on the verge of transforming the Kurdish, Turkish alliance and unity, which has been a historical reality in Anatolia and has never fractured at any critical stage, into a legal foundation. The truth that ‘If you separate the Turk from the Kurd, the Turk cannot remain; if you separate the Kurd from the Turk, the Kurd cannot remain,’ requires the development of a shared legal order based on coexistence and equality.

The time has come to establish a legal framework that respects mutual sensitivities. Aware that patiently opening this path represents a historic opportunity, let us abandon narrow, simplistic approaches that do not serve the future and, together, build a shared life. In line with the framework outlined in the report prepared by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, everyone should do their part to ensure the initiation of the legal and legislative process, the complete removal of conflict and weapons from the equation, and the opening of an entirely new chapter.

The Kurdish–Turkish alliance is the cornerstone of Anatolia’s shared future. At every step we take, we must be guided by the culture of these lands. Through legal reforms, it is possible to provide this alliance with lasting legal guarantees and to live together freely and equally within a democratic republic. Negative law must be transformed into positive law.

History offers us an opportunity to build a shared life and open an entirely new chapter based on equality and justice. I have full confidence that we will seize this opportunity together."

As the delegation, we regard Mr. Öcalan’s call as historic. We once again emphasize our determination to continue constructive dialogue with all relevant institutions—especially the Grand National Assembly of Turkey—to move the process forward with a results-oriented approach and to achieve a lasting solution based on the law of brotherhood.