A historic call is expected from Abdullah Öcalan in July and the PKK is also preparing to take a critical step in South Kurdistan.
A piece by Nezahat Doğan published on Jinnews suggests that the coming days will witness “historic developments.”
The piece published on Jinnews states:
“It is expected that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan will make a call, and in response to that call, we will witness a group from the Kurdish Freedom Movement laying down their arms in South Kurdistan (Başur) as a step toward a solution. Just like with the call made on February 27, the global public will follow this live on broadcast.
The pages of history are turning, and the era demands a new phase. The thousand-year shared history of Kurds and Turks, followed by a century of domination based on the denial of Kurds, policies of division, war, and partition, along with a 50-year-long armed struggle, are now transforming into something else. The truths of history are becoming vital for understanding today, for its dissolution, and for a new era of democracy and commune, shaped by a new manifesto. War and peace… A ray of hope for peoples around a table… But here lies the critical question: ‘How real and sincere is this?’ Of course, paving the road to peace is by no means easy; it demands serious responsibility and courage. The fact that issues which cannot be resolved through conflict are now being addressed through negotiations between warring sides around a table makes the path of mutual negotiation and struggle more apparent than in previous times and processes. To understand correctly, to explain accurately, to move forward, to read the meaning behind concepts properly, and to shape a healthy ground for discussion will further strengthen the language and hope of peace. But it must also be noted that just as there are those who desire a solution, there are also those who do not, those who thrive on conflict and war, who profit from it with power and capital.
What has the government done and what will it do now?
In a process where steps have always been expected from the Kurdish side, Abdullah Öcalan has taken on a heavy and historic responsibility and continues to do so. However, in Turkey, during the new phase that began with the call made on February 27, despite the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declaring a ceasefire, announcing that it would convene a congress and declare its dissolution, the state and the ruling power have opted to move extremely slowly in the process. While the Kurdish Freedom Movement, Kurdish political actors, and the Kurdish public have taken all the necessary steps, the government has so far refrained from making genuine and concrete moves in its own domain, such as providing legal and constitutional guarantees, enabling the functioning of the parliament, passing relevant legislation, and taking the necessary legal steps. The government insisted that the PKK should convene its congress in order for the process to move forward. The congress was held. Dissolution was declared. The PKK announced its self-dissolution and its decision to disarm. But now, the debate has shifted to the manner in which disarmament should take place. According to available information, the coming days are likely to witness intense developments.
We will witness the laying down of arms
A call is expected to be made from Imrali by Abdullah Öcalan. In response to this call, a group from the Kurdish Freedom Movement is expected to lay down their arms in Southern Kurdistan as a step toward a solution. As with the February 27 call, the global public is expected to follow these developments through live broadcasts.
But what will happen to those who disarm? How will the organization lay down arms? How will those in the mountains descend to the plains? How will legal guarantees be provided? What kind of work will the parliamentary commission carry out, if it functions at all? What role will political parties play during the commission phase? How will a legal and democratic framework be established for democratic politics? Will there be a special law on disarmament rather than a general amnesty? In order for these questions to be answered, it is essential that the commission begins its work immediately after the disarmament process, and that clear guarantees are provided for those descending from the mountains, guarantees that ensure how they will live in the plains and how they will be integrated into democratic politics. Not just within the scope of a general amnesty, but will special laws addressing the disarmament of the PKK be placed on the agenda? The concrete steps to be taken by the government and the state will also serve as an indicator of the state’s sincerity and determination regarding the resolution of the Kurdish question, democratic transformation, and the construction of a democratic future.
The paradigm of a new century
Today, the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s critique of both real socialism and the nation-state, encapsulated in his statement “The free life of peoples is only possible through the commune. Just as the nation-state is the weapon of capitalism, the founding principle and weapon of the peoples is the commune,” stands out as a new paradigm of life for societies. This paradigm, which represents a transformation from the monist ideology of the nation-state to a vision of democratic society and democracy, offers not only Turkey and its government but also the entire Middle East and the world a path toward coexistence in peace, democracy, and freedom, against the global powers’ efforts to reshape the new world order. As we enter a new second century, what is needed on the path toward peace and alliance for a democratic republic is to understand what the founding leader is saying and to ensure that the right steps are taken. Based on Abdullah Öcalan’s assertion that “The antidote to the contradictions of the nation-state is democratic confederalism,” we must struggle to establish new systems and regimes capable of enabling change and transformation.
In the Middle East in particular, within a war cycle that disregards international law, treaties, and institutions, from Iran to the entire region, the Kurds, as an influential force across the four parts of Kurdistan, are emerging as the strongest element in the construction of a democratic society. In the past century, even the very name ‘Kurd’ was denied, yet today, in the transformation of Turkey and the construction of a new century, the reality that the Kurdish people have put forward through Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm is opening the door to a new society and a lasting peace. What lays the path for peoples and communities is not only a vision rooted in their own freedom, law, faith, and culture, but one in which all identities can live freely in every sphere. The democratic, ecological, and women’s liberation-based paradigm, an example of socialism through the commune, takes concrete shape in Rojava through the democratic system of governance and understanding.
As stated above, the coming period is pregnant with historic developments, and much more decisive steps must be taken swiftly. Every minute lost will only pave the way for deeper deadlock. Developments across the Middle East and the world show that Turkey has no time to lose in resolving the Kurdish question and building a democratic society. Undoubtedly, this situation also reveals that the government and the state have no option other than to build a democratic society and achieve an honorable peace. To imagine that there are alternative paths is not only to miss the last train, but perhaps to risk the loss of centuries.
The power of words will come to life through women
This critical crossroads calls on everyone to shoulder great responsibility in building peace and a dignified life.
Without hesitation or exception, we all have a duty to stand for peace and a life of dignity. Whoever we are, let us speak our truths from the right place and in the right language and believe in the power of words. Let us demand our freedom.
There could be no more meaningful time than now, not only to demand our freedom but also to demonstrate the power to build it.
Women, now confronted with the role of leadership, must, just as in many experiences across the world, connect society with the demand for peace, and like a vast river flowing into the sea, show the strength to change the course of history
