As regional tensions escalate, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan has called on Turkey to embrace a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, saying, “Security lies not in the Iron Dome or hypersonic missiles. Security lies in peace, tranquillity, and democracy,” during a group meeting in parliament in Ankara on Tuesday.
Bakırhan linked Turkey’s internal struggles to the broader instability in the Middle East, warning that “Turkey can escape these storms by ensuring a democratic solution to the Kurdish question.”
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region, following armed confrontations between Iran and Israel, and ongoing uncertainty in Gaza and Syria. Bakırhan warned that the region is “facing the greatest political and social earthquake risk in its history” and stressed that “these conflicts benefit neither Persians, Arabs, Turks, Kurds, nor Jews”.
Referring to the wider crisis, he said the Middle East must abandon “century-old lose-lose formulas” and instead pursue democratic models that can accommodate diversity. “We can no longer live in the Middle East of a century ago or even of a few years ago,” he added.
Bakırhan said Abdullah Öcalan’s vision of democratic confederalism—an idea proposing decentralised, multi-ethnic governance—could provide “peaceful and democratic solutions to the multilayered problems of the Middle East.”
He cited Öcalan’s 2015 analysis that predicted regional turmoil and the obsolescence of the nation-state model. “A leader who foresaw this process 20 years ago is in prison,” Bakırhan said. “It’s now essential that Mr Öcalan… be truly freed. He needs to make these analyses freely and outside.”
Bakırhan added that the DEM Party would formally apply to the Ministry of Justice in the coming days to request access to Öcalan, calling for a wider opening that would allow the Kurdish leader to meet with “political party representatives, academics, actors in the Middle East, [and] journalists.”
He also underlined Öcalan’s past contributions to peace efforts, referencing his 2013–2015 involvement in negotiations with the Turkish government. “He shifted the process to a legal and political basis,” Bakırhan said, questioning whether Ankara would “show the same courage and resolve.”
Beyond calls for Öcalan’s release, Bakırhan criticised the Turkish government’s reliance on what he called “security-minded logic” in dealing with the Kurdish issue. “To still be discussing the Kurdish question purely in security terms would be the gravest mistake of the century,” he said.
He warned that domestic and geopolitical instability, if not addressed with long-term democratic reforms, could push Turkey into further crisis. “Geopolitical dangers cannot be averted with short-term political calculations,” he stated. “A politics stuck on elections, polls and petty games will leave the country adrift in the stormy waters of the Middle East.”
Bakırhan also drew attention to the economic and social costs of the conflict. “Turkey has spent its energy and economy suppressing the Kurdish language and conflict,” he said, arguing that a peaceful solution would benefit all citizens—from “retirees tired of poverty” to “farmers and agricultural workers” across the country.
He reiterated DEM Party’s commitment to national peace talks, highlighting a recent unity meeting of Kurdish political parties in Diyarbakır (Amed) as evidence of “a shared will for peace”. According to Bakırhan, the Kurdish political movement is determined to achieve “an honourable peace” based on mutual respect and democratic integration.
“In this era of historic turning points, there can be no holidays for peace and solution,” he said. He called on the Turkish parliament to immediately establish a ‘Democratic Society and Peace Commission’.
Bakırhan concluded by calling for a future in which “the solution and peace lie in Ankara’s will, İstanbul’s support, and Diyarbakır’s determination.” He said the DEM Party would continue to work towards “what is good for Turkey”, adding: “The way to win is to establish a democratic regime and reach an agreement with the Kurds.”
