The search for a solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey, ongoing for many years, has surfaced in every period with different dynamics. Politician Hişyar Özsoy compared the 2013–2015 peace process with the ongoing “Peace and Democratic Society” process, drawing attention to the steps needed for lasting peace.
Özsoy emphasized the risks of conducting the current process behind closed doors and underlined the importance of making the discussions on a solution a matter of society and addressing them on a political and legal ground.
While assessing the Kurdish peace process, Özsoy pointed to the lack of a social dimension in the current stage. He recalled that during 2013–2015, the “wise persons committee” played an active role in the field and worked seriously to spread the peace discussions to society. He noted that such steps have not been taken in the present process, stressing that running it behind closed doors undermines social trust. Özsoy said, “A closed process increases the risk of the table being overturned at any moment. Society does not fully know how the process is progressing, and this uncertainty not only shakes trust but also makes it open to provocations.”
Özsoy also stressed the critical importance of socializing and publicizing peace. He said: “The process is still perceived as limited to laying down arms and carried out within a security-centered framework. Yet the issue is much broader; it encompasses cultural, political, and democratic dimensions.”
The decision to lay down arms is a historic opportunity
Hişyar Özsoy described the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) decision to lay down arms as a historic act of will, saying that this step carries the potential to break the century-long cycle of denial, destruction, and uprisings.
Özsoy also said, “Laying down arms is not only a security issue; it is a beginning that opens the legal and political ground to address the roots of the Kurdish question. It would be a mistake for the state to see this merely with the mindset of ‘we ended terror.’ This step also creates a critical opportunity in terms of social and political ground. The first stage is to form the legal and political framework alongside the laying down of arms. The following stages must include issues such as cultural rights, democratic participation, and local administrations. This process can open the way to a comprehensive solution for both the Kurds and Turkish society.”
Özsoy stressed that silencing the guns alone would not be enough for the process to be permanent and continued: “The state must take steps addressing the essence of the Kurdish question within the framework of political and cultural rights. Concrete steps such as the release of political prisoners, the return of those in exile, and democratic integration laws must be taken. The current commission’s work focuses only on laying down arms, while the main issues that need to be addressed in a broader framework are not yet being discussed.”
Özsoy underlined that the government must take rational and responsible steps, free from nationalist codes. He proposed that for peace to take root socially, the process must be made transparent and a broad political space must be opened.
Legal and political steps must be taken urgently
Hişyar Özsoy said that the first stage of the process had stalled and that many concrete steps had not been taken. He recalled that although the process has been ongoing for almost a year and the PKK carried out the symbolic act of burning weapons, urgent legal and political steps have not been taken:
“Prisoners are still not free, and discussions on the right to hope continue. For example, even the conditional release of Diyarbakır (Amed) Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Selçuk Mızraklı has not taken place. Figures like Ahmet Türk do not even require a legal arrangement to return to their duties. There are dozens of steps the state could take, yet none have been taken. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings must be implemented. Decisions concerning Selahattin Demirtaş and other politicians must be enforced.”
He noted that while the work of the solution commission is important, the process must be accelerated: “The commission should present its proposals, put them on the legislative agenda, and concrete legal steps must be taken. Enough time has been lost; this vacuum could make the process vulnerable to provocations. Steps must be taken carefully and consistently in a way that increases society’s trust.”
Özsoy also pointed out the setbacks in the process, saying the government was “rowing the boat with a single oar.” With this metaphor, he emphasized that the process is moving forward unilaterally, which cannot bring lasting peace. He noted that the Kurdish side has demonstrated a historic will by deciding to lay down arms, adding: “We have done what we could, now we are waiting for the state to take steps,” underlining that responsibility lies with the state, which must act urgently.
Özsoy also stated that one of the most urgent and crucial issues for the healthy functioning of the process is that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan can conduct the process freely. Recalling Devlet Bahçeli’s mention of the “right to hope” at the beginning of the process, he stressed that Mr. Öcalan must be able to act under free conditions for the process to be managed.
Loss of time paves the way for provocations
Hişyar Özsoy voiced his concern over the slow progress of the process and said: “It has been going on for nearly a year, but no concrete steps have been taken.” He added that the government is closely observing developments in Syria, which negatively affects the process.
Özsoy stressed that the coming two months are particularly critical, warning that if no meaningful steps are taken in Parliament during October and November, the process will be “postponed to another spring.” He cautioned that such a vacuum could pave the way for provocations.
Özsoy concluded his assessment as follows: “The process should not be only a matter between the state and the PKK. Society must mobilize and put pressure on the government. Both sides need to move forward with reciprocal steps; one-sided steps will not advance the process. Considering the budget and legislative timetable in the coming two months, it is important that these steps are not delayed. The cost of war and conflict is borne by the whole of society, while the benefit of peace will be felt by everyone. For this reason, social participation and encouragement are essential for the healthy progress of the process.”