Politicians praise Kurdistan freedom move, urge Turkey to take similar steps

ANHA Agency conducted a series of interviews with politicians and intellectuals to gauge their views on the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s announcement of troop withdrawals from Northern Kurdistan and its implications for peace in the region.

Historic Step

Farhan Dawood, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party in Hasaka, described the move as “historic,” noting that it was not unprecedented. He recalled that leader Abdullah Ocalan had issued a call for peace and a democratic society on February 27, after which the Kurdistan Workers’ Party held its 12th congress, dissolving itself and ending armed struggle in favor of political life. Today, the Kurdistan Freedom Movement has taken another step in this historical process.

Dawood added that resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey would end all Turkish interventions in the region. However, he criticized Turkey for failing to take steps to support this phase, noting that the parliamentary committee had yet to meet leader Ocalan, the primary negotiator for the PKK, or undertake any constitutional reforms to support the political process.

He emphasized that this move carries significant implications, particularly regarding Turkey’s presence in Southern Kurdistan under the pretext of combating PKK fighters. “Turkey should also halt its attacks in Northern and Eastern Syria and withdraw its mercenaries from occupied areas like Sere Kaniye and Afrin, since the justification no longer exists after the PKK’s withdrawal and destruction of its weapons. There is no longer any reason for aggression,” Dawood said.

“If Turkey is serious about this process, it must take concrete steps for the people of the region and for peace in general. Resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey will provide a shared foundation for addressing Kurdish issues across the four parts of Kurdistan and serve as a basis for resolving broader regional conflicts. If Turkey responds negatively or fails in its obligations, it will damage its credibility and demonstrate a preference for war over peace,” he concluded.

Dawood stressed the importance of releasing all prisoners unjustly detained for defending their rights, granting leader Ocalan hope, and recognizing the cultural and political rights of Kurds in Turkey, declaring that the time for peace, freedom, justice, and mutual acceptance has come.

Abdul Ghani Osso, member of the Democratic Union Party’s General Council, described the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s withdrawal as a positive step but noted that Turkey has yet to take reciprocal measures. He referenced previous statements by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli that leader Ocalan would speak in the Turkish Parliament, adding that no action has been seen so far. He emphasized that all of the hardest work has been undertaken by the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s guerrillas.

Osso noted that the Turkish Parliament formed a committee on this phase, but today, constitutional steps are necessary. “This process cannot succeed without constitutional changes,” he said. He also highlighted Öcalan’s efforts to facilitate peace, demonstrating that the PKK was founded to defend Kurdish rights and later evolved to protect all oppressed peoples.

Osso concluded that a successful peace process will directly affect neighboring countries like Syria, Iraq, and Iran, with results expected to become apparent over the coming years, potentially contributing to regional stability.

Legitimate Kurdish Rights

Aziz Suleiman, member of the Union of Intellectuals in Jazira Canton, described the withdrawal of guerrilla forces from Northern to Southern Kurdistan as historic, signaling adherence to leader Ocalan’s call for peace and democracy.

He argued that the move marks a new phase, dispelling perceptions of Kurdish movements as rigid or comparable to other armed groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah. Today, these movements are taking steady steps toward peace and democracy, proving they are integral to the region’s past and present.

Suleiman emphasized that Kurds have only taken up arms defensively, in response to ongoing policies of extermination and repression, as seen in Afrin and Sere Kaniye.

He added that the symbolic and moral messages sent by the guerrillas demonstrate to the world that they are not war advocates and are willing to lay down arms if their legitimate rights are recognized within a true democratic society.

Suleiman also noted that Turkey is no longer able to expand its influence militarily or politically in neighboring countries as it once did, amid broader regional shifts, including developments in Cyprus, Libya, and Syria.

He concluded by urging the Turkish government to reconsider its constitution and policies and find a just solution to the Kurdish issue, describing it as central to the region’s stability and future.

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ANHA