Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan marked World Peace Day with a message to an Erbil conference urging determination in Turkey’s fragile peace process. Read by Mithat Sancar, Öcalan said peace had been “seized with difficulty” and urged Kurds to unite on democratic ground.
ERBIL, Sept 1 – The Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned on İmralı Island for more than 26 years, has urged all sides to show “sensitivity and full strength” in advancing fragile peace efforts in Turkey, in a message read on Monday at a conference in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
His remarks, delivered by Mithat Sancar, a member of İmralı delegation of mediators, came during a meeting organised by the Rudaw Research Centre . The Erbil-based media and think tank brought together members of various Kurdish political parties, intellectuals from Turkey and international scholars specialising in Kurdish issues under the theme “Turkey’s Elusive Peace.”
Öcalan praised the title as accurately reflecting the challenge of reconciliation.
“This title reflects reality,” Öcalan said. “In Turkey, peace has repeatedly proven to be a difficult prospect, witnessed through painful experiences in the past forty years. This time, however, we have seized the opportunity for peace, albeit with difficulty. We are exerting all our efforts with sensitivity to bring it to a conclusion.” His message coincided with 1 September, the International Day of Peace.
A year of turning points
The peace process began with Öcalan’s 27 February appeal from prison. In May, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – which fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state – announced it had dissolved itself and ended its armed campaign. In July, a “burning of weapons” ceremony was held near Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
In response, Turkey’s parliament in August formed a cross-party “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.” The commission has so far held six rounds of consultations with political parties, civil society and community representatives, and is expected to present draft legal reforms on the Kurdish issue in October.
Öcalan’s vision
Öcalan wrote that he envisions a model of “democratic society-based integration,” under which Kurds would establish strong ties with states that provide them democratic space.
“My preference is that Kurds integrate and cooperate with states that give them opportunities for relations centred on democratic society. I call this ‘democratic society-based integration’,” he said. “Relations among Kurds themselves should also be based on democratic unity. I call on all Kurds to come together on democratic ground.” The message closed with Öcalan’s greetings to the conference participants and his wishes for its success.
Abdullah Öcalan’s Letter can be found below:
“I congratulate the Rudaw Research Centre for organising this conference and especially for choosing the title ‘Turkey’s Elusive Peace’. This title accurately reflects reality. In Turkey, peace has proven to be a difficult prospect and situation, witnessed time and again through painful experiences over the past forty years.
This time as well, we have ‘seized peace with difficulty’, but we are striving with all our strength and sensitivity to bring it to a conclusion.
If this process in Turkey succeeds, the fate of the entire Middle East will change. Wars and destruction will give way to a new era of democratic life based on peace.
My preference is that Kurds integrate and remain in solidarity with states that provide them the possibility of relations centred on democratic society. I define this as ‘democratic society-based integration’. I base the current process we are conducting on this principle, and I believe it will succeed.
In my view, relations among Kurds should also take the form of unity on a democratic basis. I call on all Kurds to meet and unite on democratic ground.
I wish your conference to be successful and extend my most sincere greetings and respects.”