“If there is fascism in İstanbul, there can be no democracy in Amed [Diyarbakır],” said Besê Hozat, Executive Council Co-Chair of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), issuing a warning to Turkey’s government and opposition during an interview with Medya Haber TV on Tuesday, and calling for urgent democratic reform and broader political participation.
Hozat’s remarks come in the wake of the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) during its 12th Congress on 5 May and the declaration of a ceasefire on 1 March, responding to jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s call for a new ‘Peace and Democratic Society Process’. As of late June, Hozat criticised the Turkish government for its inaction, stating that the process is being “pushed forward only by the efforts of democratic circles, the Kurdish freedom movement, and above all, by the tremendous work and commitment of Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan].”
‘The Peace and Democratic Society Process’, launched jointly by the PKK leadership and the state delegation, was intended to pave the way for dialogue and transition from armed conflict to democratic engagement. However, Hozat warned that unless civil society, women’s organisations, opposition parties, and minorities actively take ownership of the process, it risks becoming a tool in the government’s hands. “If the opposition, civil society organisations, and all segments of society wage a strong struggle, we can certainly prevent this process from becoming a tool in the hands of this government,” she said.
Highlighting the gravity of the political moment, Hozat contrasted İstanbul and Diyarbakır (Amed) as symbolic frontlines in Turkey’s democratic trajectory. “If the government had good will… it would not apply such severe pressure and violence on the opposition,” she noted. “If there is fascism in Istanbul, there can be no democracy in Amed.”
The comparison underscores a broader concern over the state of democracy in Turkey, where opposition-led municipalities have repeatedly faced accusations of corruption, while government-appointed trustees have replaced elected Kurdish mayors. Hozat challenged the government to allow an independent inquiry into corruption that includes both Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition-run municipalities, stating: “Let’s see the results.”
On constitutional reform, Hozat was unequivocal. She stressed that those who renounce arms must be granted the legal means to engage in politics. “How can the guerrilla descend from the mountains without constitutional reforms?” she asked. “Legal and constitutional arrangements must be made… so that they can leave the armed struggle and engage in politics openly.”
Despite what she described as symbolic gestures from opposition parties, including messages to a recent ‘Opening the Path to Peace‘ conference in Istanbul, Hozat argued that no meaningful action has been taken. “Now it’s time for the other side to act,” she said. “What more could possibly be expected beyond halting armed struggle?”
Her remarks come amid rising tensions in the broader Middle East, including conflict in Gaza and escalating pressure on Iran. According to Hozat, regional instability should be a wake-up call for Turkey. “The region is a blazing inferno. And now, after Iran, it is Turkey’s turn,” she warned, urging the Turkish state to interpret the process not as a surrender but as an opportunity for national transformation.
Hozat also addressed ideological resistance to Öcalan’s latest manifesto, which re-examines history through a dialectical lens and critiques rigid dogmatic frameworks. “Even within revolutionary circles, outdated thought patterns clash with Leader Apo’s evaluations, causing confusion or outrage,” she observed. “This must be seen as part of a process of understanding and reassessment.”
Her comments included strong condemnation of what she described as collaborationist segments within Kurdish society who, she said, “spread hatred toward Kurds around the clock” and legitimise “genocide and war policies”. She called for honest reflection: “They are ethnically Kurdish, but enemies of the Kurdish people. They are traitors.”
Closing her speech, Hozat invoked the memory of Kurdish resistance fighters and martyrs, urging a collective embrace of the peace process. “We must wage the struggle for peace and democratic society with that same determination, devotion, and passion for freedom — and we must succeed,” she said.
As Turkey stands at a critical crossroads, Hozat’s message is clear: democratic transformation is not only possible but urgent — and it must be owned by the people, not orchestrated by state power.
