Politicians: Leader Ocalan's freedom key step toward success of peace process

Calls to move the peace process into a new phase continue, alongside growing demands to create the necessary conditions for the success of political dialogue.

In this context, Nohat Khalil Shandi, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) office in Tal Tamr, said that the peace initiative proposed by leader Abdullah Ocalan is not limited to addressing the Kurdish issue but represents a broader project aimed at finding political solutions to the crises of the Middle East through dialogue and democratic society.

She added that "the steps taken by leader Abdullah Ocalan to support the peace process have been practical and positive, while the Turkish state has so far failed to take similar measures to match these initiatives. It is the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that continues to delay taking what it considers necessary steps to ensure the success of the process."

Shandi stressed that the success of the peace process is linked to securing Leader Ocalan's physical freedom, enabling him to participate directly in managing the dialogue and contributing to peace efforts.

For his part, Idris Al-Younes, an official in the PYD in Tal Tamr, said that the impact of the Peace and Democratic Society Project will not be limited to Turkey but will also extend to Syria and the wider Middle East amid the political and security changes taking place across the region. He said its success requires reciprocal steps from all parties.

He added that the initiatives undertaken by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), including laying down arms and evacuating certain positions, are practical steps in support of the peace process. However, he believes that the Turkish state has yet to take comparable measures, which has affected the progress of the process.

Al-Younes emphasized that "the continued detention of leader Ocalan limits the ability to manage the peace process as required, and that his physical freedom would enable him to contribute directly to the dialogue and present his vision for reaching a political solution to the Kurdish issue."

He noted that regional developments, including the situation in Syria, tensions between the United States and Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the political and military shifts in the Middle East, make the peace project even more significant because of its connection to the broader changes taking place across the region.

He added that reaching a lasting solution based on the concepts of the democratic nation and democratic integration would guarantee the Kurdish people's political, cultural, and linguistic rights while laying the foundation for a new phase of stability and coexistence among the region's peoples.

Al-Younes stressed that securing the physical freedom of leader Ocalan is the cornerstone of managing the Peace and Democratic Society Process, describing him as the party capable of leading dialogue with the relevant actors and contributing to a political solution to the Kurdish issue. He added that dialogue and political solutions remain the best path for addressing outstanding issues and ending conflicts.

The two politicians concluded by stressing that the success of the peace process requires practical and reciprocal steps by all parties to create the conditions for resuming dialogue and reaching a comprehensive political settlement that would bring peace and stability to the region.

A-H 

ANHA