Researcher: Peace initiative needs political will

Leader Abdullah Ocalan launched the Call for Peace and Democratic Society on February 27, 2025, but the Turkish state has not taken any serious steps regarding his situation so far. Researcher and academic Dr. Sahar Hassan, who specializes in history, believes that “Mr. Abdullah Ocalan is an important symbolic and political actor in the context of the Kurdish issue, and he played a prominent role in previous stages of dialogue and peace attempts in 2013.”

Sahar Hassan explained that allowing space for communication or expression could help reduce tensions and open channels for a solution, especially given his influence on broad social and organizational forces.

Conditions That Must Be Provided

Sahar Hassan stressed that the success of any peace process is not linked to one person, but requires several conditions, most notably: “The existence of mutual political will among the different parties, a clear legal framework that guarantees the continuity of the process, broad societal participation not limited to elites or leaders, and the gradual building of trust through tangible steps on the ground.”

She noted that empowering influential figures may be a helpful factor, but is not sufficient on its own. Experiences show that the success of peace processes depends on transforming them from individual initiatives into comprehensive institutional tracks involving the state, political forces, and civil society.

She believes that creating the conditions for any positive role may form part of the solution, but this must be integrated into a broader and comprehensive vision that balances the interests of the different parties and addresses the roots of the conflict, not only its symbols.

She explained: “In the case of thinker Ocalan, he was the one who proposed the peace call, and he was the one who urged the Kurds to take positive steps toward implementing peace. The initiator of the initiative may be the most capable of inspiring and guiding because he is an influential figure in his society.”

On the extent to which the lack of physical freedom for leader Abdullah Ocalan affects the chances of reaching a political solution, Sahar Hassan stated that the lack of physical freedom for an influential figure such as leader Ocalan may weaken direct communication and make the delivery of messages or trust-building slower and more complicated. However, it does not make successful negotiations impossible, though it is important for ensuring and accelerating the peace process.

She added that many historical experiences have shown that negotiations were conducted with imprisoned or isolated leaders and achieved progress when communication channels were available, even if indirect, alongside guarantees from active parties.

Conditions for Peace Success: Political Will and a Comprehensive Institutional Path

Therefore, she indicated that “the success of any path is not linked only to the release of Mr. Ocalan, but requires reliable channels to convey his positions, the readiness of all parties to seriously engage with what is proposed, and a political framework that allows understandings to be turned into practical steps.”

She believes that enabling direct communication in such contexts is an important factor in accelerating the process and building trust, but it remains part of a broader system, as the success of negotiations fundamentally depends on mutual political will and the readiness to make gradual concessions from all parties.

She indicates that the absence of full freedom and direct communication creates real obstacles, but it does not completely close the door, although it makes the process far more difficult and complicated. She stresses that what ultimately determines the outcome is the seriousness of the parties involved and their ability to turn any communication channel—whether direct or indirect—into a sustainable negotiation process.

On whether the continued isolation imposed on leader Abdullah Ocalan constitutes an obstacle to reaching a political solution and establishing the foundations of a democratic society, the researcher believes that this isolation is a complicating factor in any political solution, but it is neither the only factor nor the decisive one by itself. Isolation limits his ability to communicate directly, formulate clear messages, and exert immediate influence on the parties connected to him, which may negatively affect trust-building and the speed of progress in any negotiation process, especially if he has a symbolic or organizational role in the issue.

She adds that the absence of “the thinker Abdullah Ocalan, as an ideologue and intellectual reference, may lead to reduced clarity of vision or multiple interpretations of the concepts being proposed, in addition to weakening the ability to unify discourse among different actors, as well as slowing strategic decision-making within movements linked to his thought.”

She concludes that continued isolation may slow down or disrupt the process in terms of symbolism and guidance, but it does not in principle prevent the possibility of establishing the foundations of a democratic society, provided that institutional structures and genuine collective will are available.

On whether leader Abdullah Ocalan’s freedom is an essential condition for beginning a serious and effective peace process, the researcher believes that this argument carries an important aspect of truth, given the role he historically played in declaring ceasefire initiatives during periods of calm in the 1990s and afterwards.

She explains that the leader is viewed as capable of influencing the base of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and therefore ensuring commitment to any agreement. His absence or isolation weakens direct channels of communication and makes negotiations incomplete or uncertain. Thus, the matter becomes central if there is a serious and sustainable desire for peace.

Leader’s Participation Enhances Legitimacy

Hassan, also stressed the importance of Abdullah Ocalan’s free participation in transforming his initiative into a practical political path, confirming that “leader Ocalan’s free participation could change the nature of the initiative from an intellectual discourse into an executable political process. But its importance differs depending on what we mean by ‘participation’ and ‘freedom.’”

She clarified that free participation does not necessarily mean full release only, but also includes enabling him to communicate regularly and transparently with political parties, the ability to send and receive initiatives directly, in addition to playing a clear role in the negotiation process or supervising its stages, which would enhance the seriousness of the process and make it more implementable.

She noted that the importance of leader Ocalan’s participation lies in strengthening legitimacy and influence, as within PKK circles he is considered a reference figure capable of directing decisions. Any initiative issued by him and supported through direct communication with him would be more likely to secure commitment and implementation, and to transform intellectual change into a political program.

She continued by saying: “Leader Ocalan has presented ideas regarding democratic society and a political solution to the Kurdish issue, but transforming this vision into practical steps—ceasefire, disarmament mechanisms, political integration—requires direct interaction, not merely intermittent messages.”

She emphasized that his presence in a situation that allows regular communication with different parties (politicians, mediators, representatives of society) creates a minimum level of trust that the process is not merely symbolic.

In conclusion, Sahar Hassan said that this participation, “while not an absolute condition, its absence weakens the chances of reaching stable results, as the issue of implementing agreements and ensuring commitment remains linked to the extent of his ability to influence and communicate.” She concluded that “his participation represents a key lever for the success of any peace process, even if it is possible to begin without it, but achieving sustainable results remains difficult under continued isolation.”

Dr. Sahar Hassan is an Egyptian researcher and academic specializing in the modern and contemporary history of Egypt. She also works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Academicians Global University. She is known as an expert in media history and serves as Managing Editor of the journal Modern Egypt. She has conducted interviews and written opinion articles for news agencies on historical and political issues, and has numerous publications and seminar contributions.

a.k

ANHA