Öcalan: Dialogue must prevail over provocations in the region
Abdullah Öcalan told the DEM Party İmralı Delegation that developments in Rojava were directly affecting Turkey's peace process, saying regional problems must be handled through dialogue and negotiation to head off possible provocations. He called securing the peace effort through concrete legal and political measures an "undelayable task."
RastinewsThe DEM Party İmralı Delegation, after meeting Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island, said Öcalan had pointed to developments in Rojava and stressed that problems in the region need to be addressed through dialogue and negotiation. The delegation said the talks covered Turkey's ongoing process, the democratic solution and regional developments.
"Historic responsibilities must be met without delay"
According to the statement, Öcalan said the "Peace and Democratic Society Process" had reached a stage requiring historic responsibilities to be fulfilled without delay. He said that once the law was passed, it was crucial for both sides to take practical steps and for the relevant commissions to begin active work.
"Peace corresponds to laying down arms"
Öcalan said his goal was to achieve peace and political engagement, adding that peace corresponds to laying down arms, while political engagement corresponds to democratic politics and a democratic society. He said Turkey faced a historic opportunity, and that the will for peace must be secured through concrete legal and political arrangements.
Öcalan pointed to events in Rojava
The statement said Öcalan stressed that peaceful coexistence among all peoples and faiths in the Middle East was among the goals of the process. It said developments in the region showed the process was operating on delicate balances, and that regional problems must be handled through dialogue and negotiation to head off possible provocations. The statement added that events in Rojava should also be assessed within this framework.
The DEM Party İmralı Delegation closed its statement by saying: "The path to peace is open. Now is the time to show the political will and practice needed to advance it."
Delegation's 17th visit to İmralı
The DEM Party İmralı Delegation, made up of Van MP Pervin Buldan, Şanlıurfa MP Mithat Sancar and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, met Öcalan for the first time since parliament passed the framework law — their 17th meeting with him. The delegation had last met Öcalan on August 2 and shared his message with the public afterward.
The framework law's passage was described as marking a critical stage in the "Terror-Free Turkey" process. The PKK is expected to complete the full evacuation of its caves and camps in Kandil by October 1.