After Abdullah Öcalan’s historic statement on 27 February, the “Peace and Democratic Society Process” was launched across Kurdistan and Turkey. As part of this process, a parliamentary commission was established to address the democratic resolution of the Kurdish question, and numerous non-governmental organisations and political figures were invited to testify. Throughout the commission’s meetings, which were marked by repeated calls for peace, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its decision to lay down arms, prompting the commission to take several significant steps. Most recently, the commission agreed to hold a meeting with Imralı, a move widely described as “a historic threshold.” The commission’s decision to meet with Abdullah Öcalan opened the door to a new phase, reshaping political balances and carrying major implications for the future of the process.
Associate Professor Vahap Coşkun evaluated the commission’s decision, underscoring both the importance of the planned meeting and the political steps it may set in motion. In his assessment of the peace process, Coşkun characterised the parliamentary commission’s decision to meet Abdullah Öcalan on Imralı as “delayed but correct.” Coşkun emphasised that the steps taken by the PKK over the past year carry significant weight and said that both political actors and the state must now move forward with concrete measures.
Coşkun said that the process had passed through critical stages over the past year and continued as follows:
“The decision by the PKK to dissolve itself, to lay down arms, to destroy its weapons, to withdraw from Turkey’s borders and to vacate the border line were all extremely vital steps. Society responded positively to these developments. Meeting with Öcalan was a matter that had been discussed since the beginning of the process. Therefore, the commission should have taken this decision much earlier. It was expected that political parties would resolve this issue without turning it into an unnecessary political tension or crisis. However, they likely postponed the decision by taking into account the reactions that society might show. Yet after Bahçeli stated in his group meeting that ‘Everyone must now show their true colours, everyone must make a decision,’ the commission was compelled to act. I believe this was the correct decision. Indeed, I have argued from the start that the commission needed to meet with Öcalan; and the reason for this is entirely clear.”
Öcalan is the central actor of the process
Coşkun stated that he supported the commission’s decision to meet directly with Abdullah Öcalan, emphasising that such a meeting carries both practical and symbolic weight.
Coşkun said: “All major decisions taken by the PKK so far bear Öcalan’s imprint. Until now, the commission has always learned Öcalan’s views through indirect channels. Yet there are issues the members want to ask Öcalan directly. The question of Syria is one of them. This meeting also has a symbolic meaning, as it shows that the process has reached a point from which there is no return.”
They are positioned correctly in terms of the process
Coşkun offered an assessment of the commission delegation’s composition and said: “The fact that members from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) are part of the delegation shows that these parties are positioned correctly in terms of the process. By contrast, the decision of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Yeni Yol group not to join the delegation is a politically wrong choice, and this choice will carry a political cost. We will see this in the period ahead. I believe the process will gain further momentum and accelerate after the commission’s meeting with Öcalan. This meeting may also speed up the commission’s work. The commission faces two important tasks: first, to establish the legal framework for the transition process; and second, to outline and document a perspective on Turkey’s urgent democratisation issues. Once all meetings with Öcalan and with academics are completed, the commission’s hearing phase will end, and the work in these two areas will intensify.”
The only way to ease concerns is to take concrete steps
Coşkun noted that it is natural for society to have concerns about the process and offered the following assessment: “The negative end of the previous peace process caused a loss of trust among people. In the region, there are concerns stemming from the state’s failure to take the necessary steps; in the west, there is doubt over whether the PKK will truly lay down its arms. The only way to ease these concerns is to take concrete steps. The process must become something that touches people’s daily lives.”
The transition law and democratisation steps must not be delayed
Coşkun said that one of the priority steps is to prepare the legal framework regulating the transition period and added: “The legal arrangements that will enable members of the PKK to lay down their arms, return home and reintegrate into social life must now be discussed more intensively. This is a very important step. The implementation of Constitutional Court and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings, the release of Selahattin Demirtaş, the end of the trustee policy, the reinstatement of elected mayors, and the acceleration of procedures concerning seriously ill prisoners… These moves would strengthen trust in the process. None of these even require a new law.”
Society must not become weary of the process
Coşkun said that the determination of the parties to the process is clear and summarised the current stage as follows: “Although there have been mistakes and periods of slowness over the past year, significant progress has been made. When we compare it with international peace processes, Turkey has reached in one year a point that other countries have reached only after many years. However, to prevent society from becoming weary of the process, concrete steps must now be taken. The preparation of the transition law, the presentation of a democratisation report and the acceleration of administrative steps will reinforce public confidence. Moves that enable the process to touch people’s daily lives and take a tangible, concrete form are essential.”
Coşkun also noted that expectations have grown that these steps will accelerate after the meeting with Abdullah Öcalan.