“If a solution is truly desired, a platform must be established where Öcalan can engage directly with his organisation,” said Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, in a speech on Tuesday. Speaking at her party’s weekly parliamentary group meeting, Hatimoğulları accused the government of obstructing a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question and failing to provide a concrete plan for peace.
Referring to Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), she criticised the Turkish government for expecting Öcalan to play a decisive role in resolving the decades-long conflict while keeping him in absolute isolation. “The state expects Öcalan to assume great responsibility, yet it does not even provide the most basic conditions for negotiations,” she stated.
Öcalan has been held in near-total isolation on İmralı Island prison since 1999, with no access to lawyers or family since 2019. “A meaningful peace process cannot be conducted under these conditions,” Hatimoğulları warned, urging the government to end his isolation and allow dialogue to take place.
Hatimoğulları also accused successive Turkish governments of exploiting the Kurdish issue for their own survival. She argued that this approach has been used to divide workers, suppress opposition journalists, and erode democratic freedoms. “Governments have seized the people’s consent by force, paving the way for inequality, injustice, and poverty. The anti-Kurdish policies, along with the so-called terrorism discourse, have led Turkey into authoritarian rule, economic hardship, and diplomatic failure,” she stated.
Addressing the wider political landscape, she criticised the government’s approach to Kurdish rights and democracy, arguing that peace cannot be achieved unilaterally. Hatimoğulları accused the government of using peace rhetoric while failing to take concrete steps towards a resolution. “If peace is the goal, the government must present a clear roadmap and outline its plan. Talking about peace while doing nothing is meaningless. What is your plan for a solution? Be transparent and tell the public,” she urged.
As the 25th anniversary of Öcalan’s capture approaches on 15 February, Hatimoğulları hinted at a possible statement from him. “Öcalan is preparing to make a historic call that could change the course of the country, closing the chapter of conflict and opening a new era for peace and democracy,” she said.
The DEM Party, she added, has been engaging with communities across Turkey and Kurdistan to build support for a peaceful resolution. “Before Öcalan’s anticipated statement, we held three major rallies in İstanbul, Diyarbakır (Amed), and Mersin, along with 42 public meetings. We met with Alevi communities, religious groups, intellectuals, journalists, and human rights advocates. We are working to socialise peace efforts beyond formal negotiations, and despite the bleak picture drawn by the government, our meetings show that people overwhelmingly support a democratic and peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question,” she said.
Hatimoğulları also confirmed that a DEM Party delegation plan to visit the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq to meet Masoud Barzani and other leaders. “We will discuss solutions for the Kurdish question and regional stability, and we will share their perspectives with Öcalan,” she said.
Hatimoğulları reiterated that true peace requires mutual engagement. “Peace is not a unilateral process. If Turkey is sincere about ending the conflict, it must take steps now,” she warned.
