On 27 February 2025, imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan made a historic call titled “Peace and Democratic Society”, ushering a new process of democratic transformation aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey. His message echoed internationally and was broadcasted widely by European, British and U.S. media outlets and endorsed by political stakeholders including the German Foreign Ministry, U.S. White House and UK Foreign Office. In the region, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Syrian Democratic Forces also issued statements backing Öcalan’s initiative to bring an end to 40 years of conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Founded in 2016, and supported by 15 national trade unions across the UK, the Freedom for Öcalan UK Trade Union Campaign has unequivocally advocated for Öcalan’s release from prison, recognising his role as chief broker, towards a peaceful, democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey. We welcome the initiation of talks between the Turkish state and Öcalan, which began in October 2024 at the behest of President Erdogan’s most senior coalition partner Devlet Bahceli, who made public statements around Öcalan’s right to hope under certain conditions.
The campaign praises Abdullah Öcalan’s historic message which embodies an unwavering commitment to building Kurdish-Turkish friendship amidst regional crises in the Middle East. In his 3-page letter, Öcalan’s recognition of history and analysis of current geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East issues a wake-up call for the Turkish and Kurdish nations to heal from a longstanding conflict and make peace. His directive to the PKK, calling on the group’s disarmament and disbandment, demonstrates clearly that, with the appropriate ‘democratic politics and a legal framework’, Öcalan will transform a 40-year conflict into an internationally renowned Kurdish-Turkish peace. In her message of solidarity to Kurdish news agencies, American Nobel Laureate Jody Williams said that “this process is a development which could pave the way for Öcalan’s candidacy to the Nobel Peace Prize”.
Our call:
- Öcalan’s freedom: We call for the immediate release of Abdullah Öcalan from prison to take his rightful and internationally recognised role as negotiator for peace.
- End to military activities: We call for a halt on Turkish military activities in order to provide a secure environment for talks towards democracy, freedom and peace.
- Political prisoners: We call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, and for broader amnesty provisions.
- International support: We call on the UK, U.S., and the Council of Europe to take concrete diplomatic steps to support a renewed peace process between Turkey and the Kurds by facilitating dialogue, appointing mediators, and leveraging political and economic mechanisms to encourage a just and lasting resolution.