Breaking the Shell of Absolute Isolation
Maintaining and exercising this voice required the erosion of the absolute isolation that had persisted uninterrupted for nearly a decade. It demanded both the wearing down of this shell and enduring all the evils brought by time with patience and resilience.
Because It Cannot Happen Without the Will and Consent of the Kurdish People
The removal of obstacles to Öcalan’s and the DEM Party’s dialogue by those who had erected these barriers in the first place reflects the realization—or at least the acknowledgment—by those in power that a new and healthy direction for the country, without bloodshed, cannot be charted without the will and consent of the Kurdish people.
At the heart of this realization lies the Kurdish people’s ability, under Öcalan’s leadership, to simultaneously advance their specific demands and establish themselves as a central socio-political force in Turkey. Through strategic alliances with Turkey’s societal and democratic forces in the form of a political party (HDP/DEM Party) and as a civil power, they have managed to remain a persistent socio-political stimulus in the country’s political landscape, despite all odds.
Öcalan’s Assessment of the New Socio-Political Equation and Civilizational Crisis
Öcalan’s first message to the DEM Party, the country, and the world following the breaking of his decade-long isolation—delivered through the “last delegation” of the 2013-15 resolution and negotiation period—indicates his careful evaluation of the new socio-political equation and civilizational crisis. This message, though simple in its construction and wording, reflects the profound impacts of social and political struggles since the 1970s, including the immense material and human losses and the spiritual and political gains they have brought.
It also addresses the collapse of the 2013-15 resolution process, the subsequent coups, the continuous “collapse operations” over the last decade, and the political expression of these operations in the form of dictatorship-building processes. Furthermore, it considers the shifts in power dynamics caused by regional and global conflicts, wars, ecological and economic crises, and the disintegration of the post-World War II order.
Öcalan’s Measure: “The Proof Is in the Pudding”
As a responsible leader who trusts himself and his people, Öcalan points out the necessity of turning the Turkish government’s new rhetoric of “peace” into action. He highlights the potential for the Kurdish people to become equal stakeholders in the foundational processes of Turkey and inevitably in the four parts of Kurdistan. However, he does not vouch for his potential interlocutors but, with his characteristic politeness, shows them the measure: “The proof is in the pudding.”
Negotiations Among Equals with the Entire Society
Secondly, Öcalan acknowledges the corruption, scheming, and brutality of the ruling classes, which he witnessed firsthand during the failure and collapse of the 2013-15 resolution process. Anticipating an even more intricate and volatile power structure than in 2013-15, he proposes a negotiation perspective that includes all political and social dynamics and is anchored in the Turkish Parliament (TBMM). By doing so, he provides political guidance to the DEM Party. Simultaneously, he opens the door to negotiations among equals, aligning his movement with all societal dynamics.
Healing the “Gangrene”: Painful and Risky Solution Processes
Thirdly, Öcalan’s message uses the metaphor of “gangrene” to describe the devastating wars in Gaza and Syria, implying that solution processes require a painful and risky approach, including unavoidable international relations, cooperation, and struggles. He emphasizes that progress in Turkey will inevitably influence freedom movements in other parts of Kurdistan, linking potential transformations in Turkey to the futures of Kurds in Syria, Iran, and Iraq. He thus frames these changes within a regional context.
Democracy as the Central Link to the Fate of the Oppressed and Marginalized
Fourth and finally, Öcalan focuses on a “democratic transformation” as the ultimate goal—a goal not explicitly included in the government’s rhetoric when initiating this dialogue process. His statement that a “new era of peace, democracy, and fraternity” is opening for Turkey and the region transcends narrow nationalism and particularism. It ties the solution to the broader fate of the oppressed and marginalized, making democracy the central link in the chain of transformation. By doing so, Öcalan not only reiterates his 2013 message but places it at the core of the transformation process.
Inviting Democratic Forces to Build a New Path
Öcalan’s first open message in ten years thus renews the strategic partnership with Turkey’s forces for freedom and democracy while inviting all democratic forces to discuss the construction of a new path under the new conditions.
