Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) linked to the terrorist group PKK, lauded the terror-free Türkiye initiative for the disarmament of the group.
Addressing a crowd of supporters in Şanlıurfa, the hometown of PKK’s jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan, Bakırhan said the fight for “peace” was precious. “A new world is emerging. Peace is the only safe haven in this order,” he said, before a letter by Öcalan was read at the rally on Sunday.
The DEM Party is part of an initiative originally launched by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), last year. Although complete opposites in politics, the two parties found a common ground to advance the plan that began with an invitation to Öcalan to urge the terrorist group to lay down arms. DEM Party lawmakers acted as messengers between Öcalan and political parties, as well as the public, with frequent visits to the island prison where he has been held since late 2024. Eventually, Öcalan consented and made the call to the PKK. The PKK, in turn, agreed to dissolve itself and, in July, began the first phase of disarmament in northern Iraq.
“Öcalan took responsibility at a time of bloodshed in the Middle East and made a call for 'peace,'” Bakırhan said at the rally. “We have a responsibility too for a democratic Türkiye. Peace is the safe harbor for all. You cannot ensure security with weapons and fences (in this new period),” Bakırhan said.
Bahçeli’s call to Öcalan was preceded by remarks from Bahçeli and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that highlighted the importance of a “united front” within Türkiye, aimed at eliminating security risks at a time of rising threats from expansionist Israel.
Bakırhan also suggested the “right of hope” to Öcalan, who was sentenced to life after his capture in Kenya in 1999, something originally proposed by Bahçeli in return for the dissolution of the PKK.
In his letter read at the rally, Öcalan defined his “call to peace” not “a political move but a strategic step and a historic turning point.” “With this call, doors to a new era where a peaceful democratic life will replace wars and devastation in Türkiye and the Middle East are opened,” Öcalan said.
