The February 19 assessment by Abdullah Öcalan regarding the report prepared by the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission” of the Turkish parliament has been made public.
Abdullah Öcalan’s evaluation of the report is as follows:
“The Grand National Assembly of Turkey’s ‘National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission’ published its report yesterday. The fact that the report has immediately become central to the country’s and the region’s agenda demonstrates its political significance.
This report emerged as a result of the dialogue process that began in Imrali, initiated by my response to Mr. Bahçeli’s call and shaped by the will expressed by the President. All relevant parties must acknowledge this reality and initiate the necessary legal and institutional processes required by the report to ensure that weapons are permanently removed from our agenda. I extend my thanks to the parties that worked for the report’s adoption and to the political constituencies they represent, to all those who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to advancing this process, and to the efforts of our dear comrade Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who passed away while working for the peace process.
The dialogue process we are conducting in Imrali is a serious struggle. It is being sustained through the intensive efforts of all those who seek to secure our future. Likewise, the esteemed members of the Commission, without calculating votes, have presented this process to parliament for resolution. Therefore, to compare the resulting report with previous parliamentary commission reports would mean failing to grasp the historical significance of this step. It is most appropriate to approach the report as the outcome of decades of struggle for democracy and freedom.
Opening the door to a new phase in the struggle for democracy
The report should be regarded as a highly significant step that opens the door to a new phase in the struggle for democracy. It will compel all political circles to produce realistic and grounded policies. It has deprived those detached from reality and trapped in narrow political agendas of the ground for cheap politics. Political parties opposing the report, by insisting on their narrow perspectives instead of addressing the real agenda, will place socialist circles in a particularly difficult position. It is crucial that they promptly correct their course in line with the responsibilities required by the struggle for democracy and freedom.
An important beginning
It is necessary to caution against the illusion that this report resolves or will resolve all problems entirely. This is a beginning. It is evident that Turkey’s democratization, the expansion of a democratic climate from the center to the local level and to all sectors, and the resolution of countless accumulated issues cannot be achieved through a single report.
However, the report is an important beginning. Whether it becomes effective and whether its provisions are implemented in practice will once again depend on struggle. The report may remain on the parliamentary agenda for a long time, and various actors may attempt to exploit the process to sabotage the dialogue. None of this will surprise us. Yet we are no longer in a fragile position as in the past when facing such provocations and attacks. With the right approach, we can overcome such maneuvers. The report provides a conceptual framework. The concepts and institutions to be implemented through democratic struggle and dialogue also offer a roadmap for how the Republic can be democratized. This is a reference point.
Politics, not weapons, will determine the country’s agenda
It is a necessity of this historical moment that the organization take steps in accordance with the spirit of the process. Democratic reconstruction will not be achieved through weapons or conflict, but through dialogue and mutual understanding. As long as there is legal assurance, no group will resort to violence, weapons, or conflict; and if they do, they will not escape isolation.
A period is now beginning in which politics, not weapons, will determine the country’s agenda.
What will ensure legal guarantees is democratic consciousness and mindset. Without embracing the process with both heart and awareness, which legal provision can truly protect anyone? Establishing legal guarantees is an important step. What will lead the process to success is democratic political engagement.
Emphasis on brotherhood and shared destiny
One noteworthy aspect of the report is the emphasis on Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood and shared destiny. The past century witnessed indescribable suffering. For the first time, an official report highlights Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood—this is a significant step. From now on, politics must focus on enacting the necessary legal regulations.
If politics is not conducted properly, this step too, like others before it, risks fading away without becoming an institutional reality or generating a development beneficial to democratic society. Without democratic struggle and consciousness, even the most well-crafted constitution would be meaningless. A deviant power would once again emerge, shelve the constitution, and impose its own rules on society.
Politics is the “art of the possible”
The power of politics is far more effective than the power of weapons. While weapons create new problems, politics is fundamentally oriented toward resolving them. However, politics is ultimately the “art of the possible,” and what makes the possible achievable is democratic struggle. For politics to guide the process, greater effort, responsibility, and struggle than ever before will be required.
Not a conclusion, but the opening of a door
I repeat: this is not a conclusion, but the opening of a door. A return to historical brotherhood has occurred. The role of the Kurds in the founding of the Republic was not insignificant. However, Kurdish leaders who failed to claim this contribution attempted to salvage the situation through weak organization and reactive uprisings. Through unsuccessful initiatives, Kurdish leaders were unable to avoid bringing about their own downfall.
The content of the report is open to democracy. This is the most important factor that allows us to remain hopeful at the outset. Preventing this agreement from failing lies in the hands of democratic forces. The fact that a large majority in parliament has signed this agreement demonstrates how broad the consensus is.
The real struggle is beginning now
No one has the luxury of complacency. The real struggle is beginning now. We have entered a difficult process, but one in which success is within reach. This is the result of the dialogue process conducted over the past year. However, for the wounds of the last century to be healed, this first step merely provides a roadmap.
Drawing lessons from history and embracing even the smallest step is the correct political stance.
Peace and democracy can only be embedded in society by creating the appropriate mindset and foundation. We have no time to lose in undertaking efforts suited to the new process. The report opens the way. It is an opportunity and must be utilized to the fullest.
19 February 2026 / Imrali
Abdullah Öcalan”
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