A community that recognizes each other in the process of democratic integration and understands, in the spirit of a negotiated democracy, that coexistence is only possible through joint discussion and joint decision-making, can only achieve this goal if it organizes itself independently in its respective areas of life. This organizational process is called a commune.
The approach to the new era described by Abdullah Öcalan as “socialism of the democratic nation” sees negotiated democracy as one of the central ways to achieve this. Together with democratic integration and the principle of the commune, it forms an integral part of a coherent socio-political concept.
Socialism is always an expression of a constantly renewing quest for a better community. An understanding of socialism that does not evolve but remains dogmatic, insisting that “this is the definition,” cannot survive. History has shown us in a painful way what the consequences of such an understanding can be.
Socialism is essentially an attempt to create a changing, dynamic society. To the extent that existing power relations renew themselves, emancipatory movements must also be capable of constant renewal.
The statement from the first manifesto and programmatic guiding document of the Kurdish freedom movement, The Role of the Kurdistan Revolution, according to which “the role of violence in the Kurdistan revolution must be measured in relation to the depth of the counterrevolutionary threat,” describes not only military necessities, but also the structural dimension of the struggle.
In this sense, it becomes clear that the practice and intensity of resistance in the new phase of the struggle will be largely determined by the attitude of the state. No nation state will voluntarily accept a democratic solution or a just social order.
Instead, it always acts out of a desire to maintain power, with the aim of protecting its own system against change. The realization of democratic integration processes and their sustainable development therefore depend directly on the extent and continuity of social resistance.
Negotiated democracy and democratic integration
In Abdullah Öcalan’s ideological conception, democratic integration is not only a political principle, but also one of the fundamental prerequisites for the emergence of communes, which are understood as the essence of society. Both negotiated democracy and democratic integration are central elements that enable the communalization of all social groups and are intended to lead to the development of independent, context-related forms of organization.
Öcalan is by no means talking solely about the return of the guerrilla movement or the reintegration of the cadres of the Kurdish freedom movement into “normal life.” Rather, it is about creating the conditions for society to free itself from the stranglehold of the nation state. This, in turn, requires the establishment of a common, democratically organized living space for all peoples living in Turkey and Kurdistan—on the basis of democratic integration and negotiated democracy.
Öcalan’s understanding of communes aims precisely at this form of communal life.
Negotiated democracy is a system in which speech, decision-making, and responsibility lie with all parts of society. The prerequisite for this is that social problems and proposals are discussed, negotiated, and decided upon in collective forums. This deliberative process is one of the cornerstones of communal organization.
Within the Kurdish freedom movement, communes are independent, self-determined structures that are not tied to existing state institutions but, on the contrary, should be able to surpass or replace them. The independence of the commune strengthens people’s confidence in their participation and their ability to express themselves freely and actively participate in the commune. In such a space, where fascist ideologies, for example, are explicitly excluded, correctly understood and practiced, democratic integration is the necessary first step toward building a collective consciousness.
Öcalan’s ideology is characterized by the fact that all concepts, analyses, and proposals are interwoven and complement each other. Anyone familiar with the history of the Kurdish freedom movement and who has followed Öcalan’s work from the beginning is aware of this internal coherence.
In his manifesto for a new era, which is understood as a programmatic guideline, Öcalan systematized his earlier thoughts, clarified his concepts, and transformed them into a consistent theoretical framework. His understanding of socialism goes far beyond classical concepts and represents an original alternative.
The history of the Kurdish freedom movement demonstrates not only perseverance in the realization of socialist ideals, but also the conviction that socialism is not merely a utopia. In this light, both the Manifesto for Peace and Democratic Society and Öcalan’s later statements should be understood as signposts—for a new socialist understanding in the 21st century and for the conditions of its success.
A democratic integration process can only emerge and progress on a stable foundation if the groundwork for negotiated democracy has been laid beforehand. Since the state always acts in its own interests, a key challenge is to establish a genuine dialogue process. The path to anchoring democratic integration in society begins with involving all social groups in the discussion, listening to their perspectives, and jointly formulating a collective demand on the state. This is precisely the essence of negotiated democracy.
In order to overcome existing uncertainties among the population, a mediating policy is needed that makes Öcalan’s philosophy, objectives, and way of thinking understandable and turns them into the collective basis for an emancipatory process.
While the state attempts to steer society in its own direction and enforce integration according to its own ideas, a serious danger arises if this is not countered by a strong, alternative organization. Öcalan’s efforts to actively involve all social classes in this process should be understood as an attempt to prevent precisely these dangers.
It is precisely at this point that a negotiated democracy must be established: society must be consulted, informed about the process, and made aware of the importance of democratic integration. The aim is to enable all social groups to assert their own achievements in the face of state pressure in a new phase that is initiated by legally enshrined steps.
The implementation of negotiated democracy is based on the active participation of society as a whole and should therefore be organized through civil society organizations, political parties, and associations. When all sections of society participate, openly express their views, articulate their concerns, and develop solutions together, this creates the next step within Öcalan’s ideological system—and, at the same time, the basis for genuine communal organization.
Democratic integration and the relationship with the commune
The connections between democratic integration and communal organization can be traced through the writings published under conditions of isolation on the prison island of Imrali.
Abdullah Öcalan defines the understanding of socialism in the new era as essentially communal organization. He sees the path to this practical form of socialism in the interaction of two central principles: negotiated democracy and democratic integration. These concepts cannot be separated from one another—they complement and reinforce each other. It follows logically from this context that Öcalan understands democratic integration as the first step toward a democratic nation.
In the process of democratic integration—the first step toward different population groups living together—the initial focus is on different identities and worldviews learning to coexist. This first stage of coexistence forms the basis for reaching the second stage within the framework of a negotiated democracy: consciously engaging with one another and acting collectively.
The next step is for those societies that recognize each other and are willing to live together to join forces in order to create a shared living space and organize it collectively. This can only be achieved through the active application of negotiated democracy.
The resulting system is that of the commune. A society that experiences mutual recognition in the course of democratic integration and understands through negotiated democracy that coexistence is based on communication and co-decision-making must translate this aspiration into reality through independent self-organization. This form of organization is called a commune. Simply using the word “commune” does not make a structure a commune; what is crucial is a well-founded political consciousness and a clear ideological orientation.
This is also the path proposed by Öcalan: a system based on clear definitions and a coherent theoretical framework will ultimately be successful.
Communes do not arise simply through desire or instruction, but on the basis of concrete conditions and with the consent of society. The path to communalization must therefore involve clear definition and structured organization. In particular, this requires a precise ideological line and a clear political position.
Each phase of commune building also contributes to democratic integration. Starting with house communities, the principle of cooperation and the establishment of collective life must be realized at all levels of the communal structure. In addition, binding, stable rules are needed to permanently secure this communal way of life.
Exclusion mechanisms—whether they apply to individuals or entire groups—fundamentally contradict the communal understanding of the Kurdish freedom movement. A commune must include all parts of society and build relationships with all social groups.
This means that different groups agree on a common basis and that society as a whole is represented. Finding common ground becomes a process of integration in itself: the foundations for living together are laid not through the dominance of one group, but through collective agreement.