Kurdish Politicians Hail PKK Congress, Call for ‘New Era’ of Peace with Turkish Government
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Kurdish political leaders and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Friday welcomed what they described as a historic turning point following the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) 12th congress, which is expected to lead to the group’s dissolution and a transition from armed struggle to democratic politics.
The DEM Party issued a statement emphasizing that the congress marked a milestone after fifty years of conflict, and an opportunity to usher in a new era of democratic engagement and peacebuilding.
“This step is a milestone for the reemergence of peace and democratic politics our lands have longed for,” the party declared.
Ocalan’s February Call for Disarmament Leads to Breakthrough Congress
The PKK’s announcement followed jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan’s February appeal to the group to lay down arms and disband, in favor of a political path. After months of negotiations involving mediators and Turkish officials, the PKK confirmed that it had held its congress in the Kurdistan Region mountains earlier in the week and would soon release the decisions adopted.
DEM Party Calls for Parliamentary Peace Commission
In its statement, the DEM Party called on the Turkish Grand National Assembly to assume leadership in resolving the Kurdish issue, urging all political institutions to embrace this opportunity for lasting peace and democratization.
“A new page is opening on the path to honorable peace,” the party noted, adding that the executive branch must fulfill its historic responsibility to make peace a reality.
Sezai Temelli, a DEM Party lawmaker, stated that a parliamentary peace commission should be formed, whether as a continuation of the previous peace process or in a new format, through inter-party dialogue and political consensus.
Gratitude to Political Leaders and Call for Responsibility
The party extended thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, CHP leader Özgür Özel, and Abdullah Öcalan for their roles in paving the way for peace. The DEM delegation, including Pervin Buldan and Ahmet Türk, has also met with Kurdish leaders in the Kurdistan Region and northeast Syria, acting as mediators in the process.
Tributes, Reflections, and Hopes for the Future
Following the PKK’s announcement, Buldan said, “Now the real foundations of peace will be laid. Congratulations to all of us.”
Veteran Kurdish politician Leyla Zana also celebrated the moment, writing on X:
“The new era, new hopes, and new forms of struggle place new responsibilities on all of us.”
The peace delegation’s third member, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, passed away Saturday from a heart attack, marking a somber moment amid the optimism.
Conflict Background: From Armed Struggle to Political Resolution
The PKK, founded in 1978, originally sought an independent Kurdish state, but now advocates for greater political and cultural rights within Türkiye. Its armed conflict with the Turkish state has spanned decades, claiming tens of thousands of lives. Ankara and most Western allies still classify the PKK as a terrorist organization.
This week, the PKK also reiterated its demand for the “physical freedom” of Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on Imrali Island since 1999. A previous peace process launched in 2013 collapsed in 2015, but hopes for renewed talks have now resurfaced.
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