Residents of the Martyr Rustem Cudi Camp (Maxmur) spoke to ANF following Abdullah Öcalan’s recent “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,” expressing concern over the silence of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and reflecting on how the ongoing Iran-Israel war might impact the process.

They emphasized that listening to Mr. Öcalan’s call would benefit not only Turkey, but the entire Middle East.

Helîm Îşek, a mother living in the camp, criticized Erdoğan’s silence in the face of this historic moment and stated: “Abdullah Öcalan wants the path of peace and brotherhood to be opened. He wants the problems between Kurds and Turkey to be resolved. At first, it seemed like Devlet Bahçeli was taking steps toward peace, but in the end these steps proved insincere. The PKK declared a ceasefire, but Turkey never responded. On the contrary, it intensified its attacks. When the PKK announces a ceasefire, Turkey should stop its operations. If Turkey is to make peace with the peoples, it must resolve its issues with the Kurds. Otherwise, this burden will grow even heavier on Turkey’s shoulders.

Mr. Öcalan called for Turkey, Iran, and Bashar al-Assad to resolve their problems through peaceful means 15 years ago, but no one listened. Turkey has been using chemical weapons against the PKK for years, and not a single state asks, ‘Why are you using these weapons?’ Turkey tells the international public it wants peace with the Kurds, but in reality, it does the opposite. We are not the Kurds of the past, we will not surrender.”

Öcalan has always taken steps toward a solution

Qedrî Şirîşeyî emphasized that the process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan has always been unilateral, stating: “The other side has never taken any concrete steps until now. The only response to Mr. Öcalan’s call on 27 February was Devlet Bahçeli’s speech in parliament. Back in 1993, Mr. Öcalan had also prepared for a similar process through Celal Talabani, but the death of then-President Turgut Özal interrupted everything. Since that day, Mr. Öcalan has consistently taken steps for a resolution. He has declared ceasefires many times so that the process could move forward, yet the Turkish state has never responded positively to any of them. In contrast, our people and our movement have taken all the necessary steps. Today, the public and the Kurdish people are watching the state. But clearly, even within the state, there is no unity. One side is in favor of dialogue, while another, especially Erdoğan and the current government, adopts a completely different attitude in front of the world. What we understand from this is that the Turkish state is waiting, trying to create a void, and wants to control the process only when it serves its own interests.”

Qedrî Şirîşeyî also commented on the broader geopolitical context: “The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is affecting the entire world. From my perspective, the Turkish state’s approach to this war based solely on its own interests harms both the state and Turkish society. As Kurds and as political movements in Kurdistan, we are not a party to any war. We want to gain our rights along the lines of Mr. Öcalan. If the Turkish state truly listens to Mr. Öcalan, it would benefit not just Turkey, but the entire Middle East. All peoples of the Middle East, especially the Kurdish people and all relevant parties, must resolve their issues through dialogue within the framework of Mr. Öcalan’s call.”