A group of six Kurdish-origin members of the Bundestag of Germany have called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to support a peace initiative launched by Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), with a joint statement on Monday. They urged Ankara to take steps towards democracy, reconciliation, and minority rights, warning that the chance for a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question should not be missed.
“The call for peace by Abdullah Öcalan and the associated ceasefire of the PKK present a historic opportunity for rapprochement, reconciliation, peace, democracy, and de-escalation in the region,” the MPs said.
The signatories—Kassem Taher Saleh (Greens), Gökay Akbulut, Mirze Edis, Cem Ince, Ferat Koçak, and Cansu Özdemir (Die Linke)—stressed that Öcalan’s peace proposal should not be viewed as a concession but as a genuine opportunity for dialogue. “Abdullah Öcalan’s third call for peace should not be understood as a capitulation, but rather as an opportunity for a peaceful, free, and democratic resolution of the Kurdish issue,” they stated.
The lawmakers urged Erdoğan to take immediate steps to restore democratic norms, including releasing political prisoners, reinstating dismissed mayors, and safeguarding cultural rights for Kurds and other minorities.
At the same time, they called on the German government to take a proactive role in supporting the peace process. “Given the large Kurdish -and Turkish- origin population in Germany, Germany bears a special responsibility in this matter,” they argued. They demanded an end to the “unjust criminalisation” of Kurdish activists in Germany and urged Berlin to politically engage with Kurdish forces in northern Syria, highlighting their role in fighting the Islamic State and promoting democratic governance.
“The Kurdish forces in northern Syria have been strongly influenced by the political ideas of Abdullah Öcalan and have proven themselves as advocates of cultural diversity, democratic principles, and gender equality,” the MPs said, urging Berlin to “strengthen and recognise” the region.
The signatories expressed hope that a lasting peace in Turkey and the broader region could have a positive global impact. They invited fellow German MPs across party lines to support the process. “We stand together for peace and democracy,” they declared.
