Hüseyin Küçükbalaban, co-chair of the Human Rights Association (IHD), spoke to ANF about Abdullah Öcalan’s right to hope and the steps the Turkish government must take following a series of historic developments, including Öcalan’s “Call for Social Peace and Democratic Society” made in February despite his continued isolation in Imralı, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) symbolic act of burning its weapons after its 12th Congress, and its recent decision to withdraw its forces from Turkey.
The state must take action
Hüseyin Küçükbalaban said that in the eight years since the 2013–2015 peace process, Turkey has relied entirely on security-based policies to address the Kurdish question. He stated that with Abdullah Öcalan’s call in 2024, a serious negotiation process had begun.
Küçükbalaban said: “From October 2024 onward, we can see that a genuine negotiation process has taken shape. The meetings held with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and his call were very important. This was followed by the decision to lay down arms in May, and then by the PKK burning its weapons in July and the formation of a parliamentary commission. All of these steps gave meaning to the process.
These developments are encouraging for peace. However, it is also clear that after eleven years, there has still been no real progress in terms of social participation or the steps the government needs to take.”
Küçükbalaban noted that from the moment the PKK announced it had laid down its arms, the state should have taken corresponding legal steps and said, “How will members of a disbanded organization return to civilian life? What kind of approach will they face? These questions remain unanswered. Despite the time that has passed, these issues continue to be postponed, and no necessary measures have been taken.”
Küçükbalaban added that the PKK’s decision to withdraw from Turkey and its latest statement are crucial and said, “This declaration once again shows how determined and sincere both Mr. Öcalan and the PKK, the Kurdish side, are about achieving peace. The PKK, as a political movement, had also decided to withdraw from Turkey in 1999 and 2013.”
The state must end its military operations
Hüseyin Küçükbalaban stated that in response to the PKK decision to withdraw its forces from Turkey, the state must also halt its military operations both within the country and beyond its borders.
Küçükbalaban said, “It is encouraging that, according to yesterday’s announcement, at least one group has withdrawn and that there are currently no direct clashes. In recent weeks, the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) had expressed concern that ongoing operations might lead to encounters. If the withdrawal has been completed, this risk has lessened. However, if it is still in progress, additional precautions must be taken.
The state’s insistence on continuing operations, both domestically and across the border, must be reconsidered. For the sake of national security and the success of the process, it is crucial that operations slow down at a certain stage and that steps are taken to reduce tensions. The process must now accelerate under a determined administration. There is no justification for continuing military offensives against a movement that has dissolved itself and decided to withdraw. Ongoing operations in areas of armed conflict contribute little to advancing this process.”
There is an expectation regarding Öcalan’s right to hope
Küçükbalaban said that implementing Abdullah Öcalan’s right to hope is not only a moral necessity but also a requirement of international law.
Küçükbalaban also said, “There is a clear expectation regarding Mr. Öcalan’s right to hope. This is an obligation under both international law and the Turkish Constitution. The Committee of Ministers issued a decision concerning Mr. Öcalan and several other prisoners, in four specific cases, calling for legal arrangements to guarantee this right. Unfortunately, since 2014, Turkey has neither introduced the necessary legal amendments to Parliament nor shown the political will to implement them, despite this being a violation under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).”
Legal reforms must be implemented immediately
Küçükbalaban stated that there are thousands of political prisoners in Turkish prisons and that urgent legal reforms are needed.
Küçükbalaban said, “When we speak of disarmament, we are also talking about helping militants from the mountains reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives. However, more than four thousand political prisoners are currently serving aggravated life sentences for being members of an organization that has now disbanded. It is unacceptable that they continue to face such severe punishment. Legal regulations must be enacted immediately.
The situation of ill prisoners is another urgent matter that must be addressed without delay. Ensuring the right to hope, as well as establishing legal frameworks for political prisoners, ill inmates, and former militants returning to civilian life, requires a profound shift in mentality and significant legal reforms in Turkey.”
Truth and reconciliation commissions must be established
Human rights defender Hüseyin Küçükbalaban said that truth commissions must be formed to uncover past atrocities and identify those responsible.
Küçükbalaban said, “The way anti-terror laws have been implemented, the appointment of state trustees to replace elected officials, and the ongoing failure to resolve the Kurdish question have caused serious economic, social, and humanitarian tragedies in the country. There have been genocides, massacres, mass graves, depopulated villages, and countless unsolved murders. All of this makes confronting the past and taking concrete steps an absolute necessity. That is why truth and reconciliation commissions must be established.”
He also added: “Although we have reached a stage where armed clashes have stopped, much more concrete steps must be taken to achieve lasting peace. A commission was established in Parliament as part of the dialogue with Mr. Öcalan, but it currently has no legal foundation, which means there is no real guarantee for the public. The commission has not yet held a meeting with Mr. Öcalan, and this must happen. This remains one of the missing elements of the process.
In addition, there should have been meetings with the groups that have laid down their weapons. Their reasons for not returning to Turkey and the potential contributions they could make to the process should have been discussed but this, too, did not take place. There are many politicians living abroad, some are members of parliament, others former mayors. Their views should also have been sought, yet they were overlooked.”
The PKK has taken the most meaningful steps
Küçükbalaban described the PKK decision to withdraw from Turkey as a highly significant step for advancing the peace process.
Küçükbalaban also said: “The PKK’s decision to withdraw from Turkey is a highly significant step for advancing the peace process. Yesterday’s statement marked an important step toward revitalizing the process. As the IHD, we find this development both meaningful and valuable. However, the success of this process does not depend solely on such declarations, the state must also take concrete steps.
The PKK’s withdrawal and decision to dissolve itself open the way for democratic politics. Now, while the state must take its own steps, civil society organizations, trade unions, and democratic political forces must also play a stronger role in supporting the peace process.
This is a crucial opportunity, a real chance. Everyone has responsibilities: the state, civil society, and political actors must each fulfill their duties.”
Extending the war mandate is an irrational decision
Küçükbalaban said that Turkey’s decision to extend its military mandate for Iraq and Syria by three more years proves that the government still approaches the Kurdish question through a security-oriented mindset.
Küçükbalaban added: “The extension of the mandate shows that the state has not yet abandoned its reliance on security-based policies in addressing the Kurdish issue. It reflects a tendency to manage the process with militaristic measures in case it falters. While the PKK has already demonstrated that Kurds are no longer a threat in the Middle East, in Iraq, Syria, or within Turkey, labeling Kurdish political parties in different regions as terrorist organizations and using this as a justification to renew military mandates for another three years is entirely irrational.
This approach is wrong, and we must say so again. Kurds are no longer a security problem for Turkey, Anatolia, or the Middle East. On the contrary, they are guarantors of peace and stability in the region. Turning their demands for identity and cultural rights into a pretext for war is unacceptable. The policy of denial and annihilation is a war policy, and we believe it must now be abandoned.”