A public forum was held in Wuppertal, Germany, on Sunday to discuss the recent “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” issued by Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, 2025. The event, attended by a large audience, featured Kurdish politician and former HDP parliamentary group chair Dr. Idris Baluken as the keynote speaker.

The meeting began with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Kurdish struggle. Civil society groups and members of the Kurdish diaspora were present in significant numbers.

'The Kurdish people have defeated the policies of denial'

In his speech, Baluken shared his thoughts on the Kurdish people's struggle and the current political developments in the region.

Baluken stated that the Kurdish people have now defeated the policies of denial and that this has been recognized by both regional and global powers, saying, “The Kurdish people have opened a new page in history.”

Baluken pointed out that Öcalan’s February 27 “Call for a Democratic Society and Peace” initiated a strategic process directed not only at a party or organization but at the entire Kurdish people.

The Kurdish politician stated that the solution perspectives that Öcalan has been advocating for over 30 years have now reached the level of being addressed, and that this call is a natural result of the Kurdish people's century-long struggle.

'A great opportunity for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Turkey'

Recalling that the Kurdish Freedom Movement first declared a ceasefire in response to this call and then demonstrated its commitment to a democratic solution through the congress process, Baluken said that these steps present a great opportunity for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts that have been ongoing in Turkey for dozens of years.

However, he emphasized that this process will only gain meaning if the other parties involved respond in a manner consistent with this commitment, rather than relying solely on the efforts of the Kurdish side.

Baluken continued: “The struggle waged by the Kurdish people for over a century is not merely the story of a resistance in the past. This struggle is an unbroken line of determination and resistance, from Şêx Said to Seyid Rıza, from the prisons of Diyarbakır to the present day. Today, however, this historic resistance has transcended its role as a mere reaction to past injustices and has become the will of the Kurdish people to shape their present and determine their future. The Kurdish people now have a place at the table not only as a people with their own language, identity, and culture, but also as the main players in the new political architecture of the Middle East. That's why this struggle isn't just a memory of the past; it's a political, social, and democratic strategy for building the future.”

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session.