Öcalan Calls for Legal Framework in New Peace Process as Turkish Parliament Commission Continues Work
Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has declared that the peace and democratic society process has reached a stage requiring legal solutions and interim legislation, according to a statement released by his lawyers following their first visit to İmralı Island prison in six years.
The announcement comes as Turkey's parliamentary Commission for National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy continues its work on what the government calls a "terror-free Turkey" initiative. The commission held its tenth meeting today, hearing from academics specializing in conflict resolution about international peace processes.
According to Asrın Law Office, Öcalan stated during the September 15 meeting that "the peace and democratic society process has reached the legal solution phase based on its progress." The lawyers reported that Öcalan emphasized that the Kurdish issue has political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions requiring legal solutions, including interim period laws.
The visit marked the first time lawyers had been permitted to meet with Öcalan since 2019. The legal team described finding him "quite strong and determined" during their meeting at the high-security F-Type prison on İmralı Island, where he has been held along with four other prisoners.
"Mr. Öcalan expressed that Kurds have been kept outside the law as a phenomenon for a century, and what they are trying to overcome is this lawlessness," the lawyers stated. He reportedly emphasized his insistence on coexistence within a democratic nation framework and his commitment to a democratic republic project.
During today's parliamentary commission meeting, academics presented various international conflict resolution models. Professor Sevtap Yokuş Haznedaroğlu stressed the importance of developing perspectives beyond political calculations and current politics, warning that while the commission's task is difficult, success would make members part of history.
Haznedaroğlu proposed several confidence-building measures, including legal provisions for releasing political prisoners, implementing genuine local government autonomy, and ratifying protocols preventing discrimination. She also highlighted the need for security guarantees for those participating in the process, noting, "We are speaking here; I don't know if we have guarantees."
Peace researcher Ayşe Betül Çelik emphasized that stopping deaths is only the first step in peace processes, warning against limiting efforts to security concerns alone. She stresses the importance of ensuring returns, healing the social fabric, and fostering more positive relationships between diverse groups. "Trust is built along the way," Çelik noted, explaining that when one party takes a confidence-building step, the other must reciprocate.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, opening the commission meeting, emphasized that the body's primary task is supervising and controlling the disarmament process on behalf of the nation. He stated that Turkey aims to develop its own unique model for conflict resolution, which will contribute to the global democratic literature.
"The most important issue is for the organization to completely abandon its weapons as soon as possible and take steps in line with the call made from İmralı," Kurtulmuş said, expressing confidence that progress would accelerate once disarmament is achieved.
The developments represent a significant shift in Turkey's approach to the Kurdish issue, with the government appearing to embrace a new framework for addressing the decades-long conflict through legal and democratic means rather than purely security-focused measures.