International reactions to the call by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan for peace and democratic society have been published in book form for the first time. The publication compiles contributions from intellectuals who have publicly supported the initiative since 2025.
The volume, titled “Call for Peace and Democratic Society: From International Reactions to the Principle of the ‘Right to Hope,’” was published by the Istanbul-based Belge publishing house. It documents the global responses to the call, which was issued on February 27, 2025, and has since shaped both political and academic debates.
Among the supporters are internationally renowned thinkers such as Angela Davis, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Alain Badiou, and Giorgio Agamben. In total, more than 30 figures from different countries took part in the campaign launched following the publication of the call. On its first anniversary, an international declaration titled “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan – Right to Hope” was also released, further sharpening the political and legal framework of the debate.
In addition to international statements, the book also includes the original call itself, as well as contributions on the perspective of hope, addressing the legal situation of political prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment. The volume is introduced by DEM MP Mithat Sancar, a member of the Imrali delegation, and includes an additional contribution by his parliamentary colleague Meral Danış Beştaş.
The publication is dedicated to the victims of the ISIS attack of October 10, 2015, in Ankara, as well as to politician and filmmaker Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who passed away last May. It is conceived not only as a collection of texts but also as a documentary archive of an international debate on peace, democracy, and political imprisonment.
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