Jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan on Friday reiterated his call for democratic politics to replace armed struggle, marking the first anniversary of his landmark February 27, 2025 appeal for peace.

His message was read aloud in Ankara during a ceremony organized by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has been mediating renewed peace efforts between Ankara and the PKK. The event commemorated Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and Democratic Society,” and included the release of a new photograph of the imprisoned leader.

“Our call… is a declaration that where democratic politics comes to life, weapons lose their meaning,” Öcalan said in the statement, which was delivered by DEM Party co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Tülay Hatimoğulları. He described the PKK’s recent decisions as evidence of a “purification from violence” and a clear preference for political engagement.

In February 2025, Öcalan called on the PKK to lay down its arms and dissolve itself, paving the way for a political solution to a conflict with the Turkish state that has claimed nearly 40,000 lives over four decades. In May, the group formally announced its dissolution and rebranded as the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, declaring an end to its armed campaign. By October, it said it had withdrawn all fighters from Turkey as part of its peace push.

Öcalan, imprisoned on İmralı Island since 1999, conveyed his latest message to a DEM Party delegation during a February 16 visit. Despite his incarceration, he remains a central figure in Kurdish politics and ongoing dialogue efforts.

“We have essentially managed to overcome the negative period of rebellion through a unilateral will and practice,” he said, adding that the organization’s dissolution marked not only a practical but also a “mental” shift away from violence.

Addressing Kurdish-Turkish relations, Öcalan emphasized historical interdependence. “There can be no Turk without a Kurd, and no Kurd without a Turk,” he said, calling for renewed fraternity and dialogue to overcome two centuries of strained relations.

He also outlined a vision for “constitutional citizenship” in Turkey, arguing that citizenship should be based on a bond with the state rather than ethnic identity. Such a framework, he said, must guarantee the right to freely express religious, ideological, and national identities, as well as the right to organize.

“Today, no system of thought can survive without basing itself on democracy,” he added.

In a notable move, Öcalan praised Turkey’s political leadership for contributing to the renewed peace process. He highlighted the “will” of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the “call” of Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli, and the “contribution” of Republican People’s Party leader Ozgur Ozel, along with other political and civil actors.

In October 2024, Bahçeli publicly floated the possibility of granting Öcalan the “right to hope” — a legal principle allowing conditional release for life prisoners — if he formally called for the PKK’s dissolution, a move widely seen as reigniting the peace track. Özel also voiced support for reconciliation efforts, calling for a Turkey “where no one feels like an outsider.”

As part of institutional steps toward peace, Ankara established a 50-member parliamentary commission in August to draft a legal framework for the process. Last week, the committee overwhelmingly approved a report enabling former PKK fighters who renounce violence to reintegrate into society, though it stopped short of offering amnesty. President Erdogan described the report as a “roadmap” and an “important achievement” that would accelerate the process.

While the PKK has formally ended its armed campaign inside Turkey, some of its members remain based in northern Iraq, particularly in the rugged Qandil mountains within the Kurdistan Region.

Öcalan concluded his message with a call for collective responsibility. “We invite all segments of society to create opportunities and take responsibility in this direction,” he said, underscoring his belief that the future of the peace process lies in democratic politics rather than armed conflict.