American political theorist Michael Hardt has voiced support for Abdullah Öcalan’s 27 February statement calling for peace and a democratic society, aligning himself with recent decisions taken by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on its future direction.
In a written message dated 13 June, Hardt praised the move as a constructive step toward building new political structures grounded in democratic values. He described the Kurdish movement as a global source of inspiration due to its history of political innovation under conditions of repression.
“I admire and support the decision by Öcalan and by the PKK to forge a new path toward peace and democracy,” he said. “The Kurdish movement will have to invent a new meaning for peace and new political structures for democracy. I am confident that it can succeed in this task, despite repressive forces.”
Hardt is best known for his collaborations with Italian philosopher Antonio Negri, including the influential 2000 book Empire and its follow-up Multitude, which examine global power dynamics, resistance, and the potential for new democratic forms.
Öcalan, the imprisoned founding leader of the now-disbanded Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), issued a written appeal earlier this year calling for a “peace and democratic society initiative”. Although detained since 1999, his statements continue to shape Kurdish politics, especially among groups advocating for democratic autonomy within Turkey and the wider Middle East. The PKK, which announced its congress resolutions in alignment with Öcalan’s message, has also recently declared a strategic shift away from armed struggle.
Hardt’s remarks add to a growing body of international commentary surrounding the Kurdish movement’s evolving stance, amid ongoing peace debates and reform discussions in Turkey.
