Today, the DEM Party held a press conference in Ankara marking the first anniversary of the Peace and Democratic Society Call. The event was attended by representatives of political parties, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and members of the media. Before the message from Abdullah Öcalan was read out, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, delivered remarks highlighting the significance of the 27 February Call and ongoing efforts toward peace and democratic dialogue.
In their speeches, Bakırhan and Hatimoğulları said following:
Hatimoğulları: On 27 February, a historic threshold was crossed
“On 27 February 2025, we witnessed one of the most significant days in the political history of Turkey and the Middle East. On that day, a statement was not merely delivered; a historic threshold was crossed, and the door to a new era was opened. I respectfully and gratefully commemorate dear Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who stood with us in this picture on 27 February last year, and who devoted his life to the struggle for peace and democracy. The Call for Peace and Democratic Society shared by Mr. Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February marked the closing of one era and the beginning of another. This call is a powerful declaration of political will and a historic manifesto. It was an offer of an equal, free, and democratic life for everyone, without discrimination, from the north to the south, from the east to the west of this country, which has borne the burden of war, conflict, poverty, and suffering for half a century. The objective is not merely the silencing of arms, but the establishment of an honorable, lasting, and just order of peace.”
27 February is the courage to rebuild the future
“27 February represents the courage to rebuild the future. Mr. Öcalan’s courageous call received a positive response from his organization, which took the decision to dissolve itself. By burning weapons and taking other practical steps, it fulfilled the requirements of this call. As the DEM Party, we have continued our efforts over the past year to transform these developments into an honorable peace. We met with our people neighborhood by neighborhood, house by house, street by street, and city by city. We held approximately 2,500 meetings and public gatherings. We engaged in open and sincere discussions and evaluations of this process with hundreds of thousands of our citizens. Together, we endeavored to establish a participatory and transparent platform of a breadth rarely witnessed in global conflict resolution experiences.”
The government must now take decisions in line with the 27 February call
“The responsibility now lies with the state and the government. Decisions commensurate with the content and historic weight of the 27 February call must now be taken. Policies must be formulated without delay, a clear roadmap must be established, and concrete, confidence-building steps must be taken. The will for peace must find clear institutional expression. The 27 February call is an explicit program placed before Turkish politics on the basis of democracy, justice, equality, and freedom. It is a strong and unequivocal declaration that the struggle will henceforth be conducted through politics, not weapons. Democratic integration is neither assimilation nor surrender. Democratic integration signifies a shared life in which every identity is recognized, every citizen is accepted as equal, and freedoms are secured under constitutional guarantees.”
The Republic must meet democracy in its new century
“The implementation of this phase is now the historic responsibility of the political institution. The period of taking refuge behind fears nourished by conflict and the traumas of the past must come to an end. Democratic integration is not merely the recognition of Kurds; it is the democratization of Turkey as a whole. It means enabling 86 million citizens to live in a more just, prosperous, and peaceful country. It is the removal of obstacles to freedom of organization and democratic politics. Mother-tongue rights and cultural freedoms must be guaranteed. The separation of powers must be genuinely ensured. Freedom of belief and worship must be secured. In its new century, the Republic must meet democracy.”
We stand unequivocally behind the Call for Peace and Democratic Society
“Within the new process initiated by this call, much can be achieved toward the construction of a democratic republic. Once again, we declare that we stand firmly behind Mr. Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society, delivered on 27 February last year. We stand behind it without reservation or precondition. Here, in the presence of you all, we pledge that we will realize this remarkable offer of peace and fraternity extended to the peoples of Turkey, and that we will pursue this struggle to the very end.”
Bakırhan: We pledge to build a just, equal, and free life
“I respectfully and gratefully commemorate our very precious friends who stood with us for years in the struggle for peace, democracy, and labor, but who are no longer among us today. I remember with love and respect Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who made significant contributions and efforts in this process. Once again, we renew our promise to them. We pledge that one day, in these lands, we will absolutely build a just, equal, and free life.”
We have arrived at the threshold of a new history
“History sometimes repeats itself; it does not move swiftly. Yet there are times when highly significant breakthroughs, events, and phenomena accelerate its course. Prior to 27 February, Turkey was gripped by profound despair. Chaos, crisis, and deadlock prevailed in the country. With Mr. Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society on 27 February, we have arrived at the threshold of a new history. 27 February is the name of a historic will put forward to untie a century-old knot. For a century, these lands have been unable to resolve the Kurdish question. 27 February is the determination to resolve our democratization challenges, primarily the Kurdish question, through democratic politics, the rule of law, and social consensus. This political will is a first spark of peace falling upon the ancient lands of the Middle East. Indeed, this call has simultaneously transformed the environment of conflict and war in Syria toward dialogue and negotiation. For the peoples, 27 February serves as a compass guiding the path out of destruction and toward a shared, dignified life.”
Peace cannot be achieved through unilateral steps; the responsibility now lies with the state and the executive branch
“Peace cannot be achieved through unilateral steps; peace cannot be built through one-sided sacrifices. Therefore, we state once again that the state must act in a manner commensurate with the weight of this will for peace. The state and the executive branch are obligated to advance this process with a seriousness and determination that matches Mr. Öcalan’s pace of resolution. The responsibility now lies with the state and the executive branch. We emphasize that the legal steps outlined in the Parliamentary Commission’s report must now be implemented without further delay. The law of peace must now be written, and legal and constitutional guarantee mechanisms must be put into operation.”
We will continue to stand behind Mr. Öcalan’s effort for democratic politics and his will for peace
“For the establishment of historical and societal peace, Mr. Öcalan’s role, position, or legal status must be clearly recognized and secured. In his meeting with our delegation on 16 February, Mr. Öcalan stated something of great importance. He said, “There can be no Republic without Kurds.” We likewise affirm that there can be no Republic without Kurds, and we reiterate our call for the fulfillment of the requirements of this principle. A genuine and democratic republic can only be crowned by a citizenship in which Kurds live equally and with dignity. We know that the issue is not solely the Kurdish issue; it is fundamentally Turkey’s issue of democracy, law, and justice. The issue is a matter of living together as equals. As the DEM Party, despite all forms of provocation and pressure, we will persist in our commitment to democratic politics. We clearly place this on the historical record, and to those who ask, “Where does the DEM Party stand?” we respond once again in this hall: We support the 27 February call with our utmost conviction and embrace it to the very end. We will continue to embrace it. We will continue to stand behind Mr. Öcalan’s effort for democratic politics and his will for peace.”
Following the Co-Chairs’ speeches, the Turkish version of Mr. Öcalan’s message was read out by Pervin Buldan, a member of the DEM Party İmralı Delegation, while the Kurdish version was read out by Veysi Aktaş, a former political prisoner from İmralı Island.
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