KCK Leader Zübeyir Aydar: True Peace in Turkey Requires Constitutional Reform and Mutual Commitment

Senior Kurdish figure Zübeyir Aydar, a prominent member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), has issued a stern warning: peace in Turkey cannot be one-sided. In an interview published by ANF, Aydar emphasized that only genuine, mutual efforts—including deep constitutional change—can create the conditions for lasting reconciliation between the Turkish state and the Kurdish population.

His remarks come in the wake of a historic announcement by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which recently declared its dissolution and full disarmament, along with the release of a political memorandum authored by imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

“A Bird Cannot Fly With One Wing”

Aydar expressed disappointment with the Turkish government, criticizing what he called its lack of concrete, legal responses to Kurdish initiatives. “Peace, by its nature, must be mutual,” he said, quoting MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli: “A bird cannot fly with one wing.”

He argued that symbolic gestures and rhetorical appeals to ‘brotherhood’ are no substitute for legal equality. “The word ‘Turk’ appears 41 times in the constitution,” Aydar noted, “yet ‘Kurd’ is not mentioned even once. If we are siblings, we must be equals—in every field, in every way.”

PKK Steps Back, But the State Remains Silent

According to Aydar, the Kurdish side has already made bold, transparent moves toward peace, notably the PKK’s disarmament and Öcalan’s 27 February call for a democratic solution. “We have done more than our share,” he said. “But peace cannot be built by one side alone.”

He accused the government of deliberate delays and legal inaction, warning that without serious constitutional reform and the recognition of Kurdish identity, the process is destined to stall.

A key demand is the lifting of the isolation imposed on Öcalan, who has remained in near-total solitary confinement, denied access to lawyers and family for years. “How can a peace process proceed if one of its most central actors is silenced?” Aydar asked.

Parliament’s Responsibility and the Need for Inclusion

Aydar also criticized the Turkish Parliament’s inaction, urging the formation of a national commission to address the Kurdish issue. He emphasized that the matter goes beyond the PKK, involving deep historical grievances spanning both the Ottoman Empire and the Republic.

“All political parties must be part of this initiative,” he said, calling on both the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and the main opposition CHP to engage actively in crafting a solution.

Democracy and Kurdish Rights Go Hand in Hand

Turning to recent political tensions, Aydar condemned what he described as government pressure on CHP leader Özgür Özel and the ongoing crackdown on Kurdish politicians. “You’re trying to suppress the very opposition that won the local elections,” he warned, calling such tactics a form of sabotage against peace efforts.

For Aydar, resolving the Kurdish issue is inseparable from Turkey’s broader struggle for democracy. “Kurdish rights and democracy go hand in hand,” he said. “There can be no true peace unless there is democracy for everyone.”