Why did life in Türkiye stop to listen to the Ocalan declaration? | policy

At five in the evening on February 27, 2025, life stopped in Turkey, and its attention was drawn to the screens, where this hour was to be read at that time, the declaration of Abdullah Ocalan, the founder of the PKK (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organization, which served the prison for 26 years on the island of Amali, Marma Central.

The importance of this declaration is that he had to include the call from Ocalan to the organization and its various weapons in Syria, Iraq and Iran, to abandon arms and definitively dissolve the Party.

Indeed, at the specified time, representatives of the Party of Democratic Peoples (DEM) appeared before the cameras and read this historical declaration. Ocalan has unconditionally called arms, and the Kurdistan workers’ party, where he clearly said:

“All factions must abandon the arms and the PKK must be announced.”.

During the period 2009 and 2014, Turkey had tried to end the armed conflict through what was called the “peace process”, but these efforts failed, because the PKK took advantage of the occasion and reorganized its ranks under various names in northern Syria, with the support of the United States, to establish the Rojava region, which led to the collapse of the process.

Consequently, any new call to resolve the armed conflict encountered a wave of rejection inside Türkiye. But things changed after the Gaza War. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan realized that the conflict could extend to Syria, and from there, he can cause internal effects on Türkiye, which led him to adopt the strategy of union and strengthen the internal front “.

From this point of view, his call to put an end to the influence of the PKK inside Türkiye, so that it is not a tool to attract Kurds inside the country. Unfortunately, this stage supported Dort Bhatchley, the chief of the National Movement Party (MHP), the party known for his strong opposition to any previous attempt to resolve the politically conflict.

On October 22, 2024, and after the meetings, he had with personalities from the Party of the Democratic Peoples, Bahcheli made a shocking statement in which he said:

“If Ocalan will call to abandon the weapons and dissolve the organization, let it speak in Parliament within the Bloc of the Party of Democratic Peoples.”.

This statement made a political earthquake inside Türkiye and accelerated the course of the operation.

Immediately, Erdogan announced his solid support for this initiative and awarded the head of the intelligence agency Ibrahim Qalun to manage the operation. Then, the representatives of the party of the democratic peoples visited Ocalan in his prison, while the latter accepted an invitation to Hachli. Thus, the preparation of the declaration read on February 27 began.

While the officials of the Democratic Party communicated with political forces to mobilize support, Ibrahim said by planning the stages of the operation.

The declaration came written in the writing of Ocalan in the Turkish language, along three and a half pages, and devastating its signature and on February 25, 2025. The declaration was digitally copied and was delivered to the delegation of the Party of Democrats to read it. The delivery of the letter was followed by the lawyers of Ocalan and some of his comrades in prison, and photos of this moment were taken later in the media.

The delegation, which went to the island of Amali, included seven members of the party of the democratic peoples, and among them was Ahmed Terk, the former municipality of Mardin, who read the text of the declaration in the Kurdish language, before Bruin Boldan, the former president of the party and the parliamentary deputy, does not take up the original text of Turkish.

Ocalan started his message by explaining the reasons which led her to establish the organization and how his ideological ideas have evolved over time, and why did the organization have not reached the desired success, as it wrote:

“The PKK, which is the longest movements of rebellion and violence in the history of the Republic, was able to continue, except because of the absence of canals of democratic policy.AHis face in front of the historical social structure..

Then he announced in the last part of his letter that the party is constantly dismantling, saying:

“In the light of the political climate, which was formed by the appeal of Mr. Alcht Bahcheli, the will that the president showed, and the positive position taken by the rest of the parties, I support the historic responsibility of this call to launch weapons. Kurdish workers must come..

What is the effect of this invitation?

• The statement was clear and decisive, and he left no room for any interpretation. This means that most party fighters will comply with the decision, and those who reject it will turn into a rebel against Ocalan himself. Popular support for organization will decrease considerably.
• Whatever the extent of the party’s commitment to the resolution of the solution, Türkiye considers this call a great victory in the fight against terrorism.
• The party’s solution strengthens the position of the Kurdistan region in Iraq and the Iraqi government, because the organization has always been a threat to them, and it will soon be easier.
• On the other hand, the YPG units in Syria announced that it did not concern this invitation, saying: “The call of Ocalan belongs to the PKK, not to us.” However, this stage can lead to divisions within the organization, due to the Ocalan challenge, which weakens its inner structure.
• Security sources confirm that rejection of people’s protection units for this invitation came in response to Israeli and American pressure. This will make Türkiye classify it more clearly as an “foreign militia operating”.
• The Syrian regime has acquired a new pressure card to force people’s protection units to abandon weapons and integrate into the diet.
• Even if the organization tries to go with other names, its morale and its justifications will not be the same, which means that it fades over time.
• Internally, the state of emergency can be increased in the areas affected by the conflict, which accelerates development and investment projects.
• The Party of Democratic Peoples will be more freedom than the pressure of the PKK, which allows it to play a more independent civil role, improving the democratic path in Türkiye.
• Finally, it is recorded for Erdogan and Hushali that they are the two leaders who ended the longest armed rebellion movement in modern history, which will strengthen their popularity. Ibrahim also declared as a successful engineer for this path, which strengthens his position in the Turkish political scene.