Imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has renewed his call for peace and democratic reform in Turkey, in a Peace Day message read at rallies in Istanbul and Riha on Sunday.
Öcalan, held on İmralı Island since 1999, said the appeal was “not a routine political gesture but a strategic step and a historic turning point.” He urged that wars and destruction in Turkey and the Middle East be replaced by “a democratic life founded upon peace,” stressing that true peace means embedding freedom, democracy and social justice in all aspects of life.
The statement comes against the backdrop of Öcalan’s earlier message in February calling for a political resolution and democratic society, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) formal declaration in May that it had dissolved itself and ended its armed campaign.
The DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimogulları, whose delegation visited Öcalan on 28 August, said they would continue to mediate the process and called for reforms that would transform Turkey’s legal and political framework from one of enmity into a system of coexistence, in line with Council of Europe and UN conventions. They both stressed the core necessity of Ankara to amend its criminal code to align with the “right to hope” principle , which guarantees prisoners the prospect of release, a reform the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers demanded by September last year.
Abdullah Öcalan’s Letter can be found below:
To all who strive for peace and democracy,
Our call for peace and for a democratic resolution is not a routine political gesture; it represents a strategic step and a historic turning point. With this call, the gates of a new era have been opened—an era in which wars and devastation, both in Turkey and across the Middle East, can be replaced by a democratic life founded upon peace.
This is not a mere aspiration but a concrete reality that must be built with strong resolve and tangible practical steps. For genuine peace is not simply the silencing of arms or the cessation of hostilities. True peace can only be realised when freedom, democracy, and social justice permeate every sphere of life.
Such a social transformation is not merely a right of our peoples; it also constitutes the primary duty of the new era before us. Through the struggle of our peoples, the values of peace, democracy, and freedom will inevitably take root and find expression in social life. From this moment forward, this country will become the homeland of those who regard peace and democratic life not only as a right but as a collective responsibility.
On the occasion of 1 September, I call upon our peoples to embrace this historic responsibility and to broaden and strengthen the march for peace and freedom. With the conviction that everyone will reflect upon themselves in light of the seriousness of this moment, and act in accordance with the spirit of peace, I extend to you all my enduring love and deepest respect.
Abdullah Öcalan
İmralı Island