After the meeting with Abdullah Öcalan, the İmralı Delegation of the DEM Party announced the message of the Kurdish leader in Istanbul. Öcalan highlighted the importance of paving the way for democratic politics and Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood and called on the PKK to lay down arms.

Commenting on Öcalan’s call, human rights defender Akın Birdal said, “I think Öcalan has spoken his word. What is important here is to see what the state's words will be. Surely today is a historic day. It is a beginning. A road map should be drawn up immediately in the Parliament and civil society. Everyone should see what lies ahead, and the weapons should finally be silenced. It should be the beginning of the building of a society based on human rights, equal citizenship and freedom. As human rights defenders, we have been witnesses to this process for 40 years. The weapons should be silenced. A process of dialogue and negotiation should be initiated, and it should be sincere and reassuring. The state should take steps as soon as possible. As defenders of rights and peace, we will do our part. We are working for such a process in Istanbul and İzmir. It is painful how things have come to this day. We are in a wounded geography. We should all take responsibility to get rid of today.”