On Friday, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) announced that it had held its twelfth congress in the Medya Defense Zones at the beginning of the week and would publish the results and decisions in the near future.

In a statement about the PKK declaration, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Central Executive Board stated the following:

"Today we are witnessing one of the most significant and critical turning points in Turkey’s recent history.

1-With the historic congress decisions of PKK, we are one step closer to lasting peace after fifty years of conflict. This step marks the resurgence and growth of the long-yearned-for peace and democratic politics in the heart of our ancient lands.

2-First and foremost, we honour with the deepest respect all those who lost their lives during this long and painful conflict. The past decades have shown us that pain knows no language, ethnicity, or identity. Today, the tears of Turks, Kurds, Circassians, Arabs, Alevis, Sunnis - all identities and beliefs- have joined in the same sea of sorrows. We carry this collective grief in our hearts. We will preserve the memory of all we have lost as a sacred trust and build our shared future upon it.

3-Now is the time to prioritize the will to live together as equals. It is time to place our faith in democratic society, free political expression, and universal legal norms. It is time to strive for democratization and to take concrete steps toward it. Let no more young people fall neither in the mountains nor in the cities. From now on, let the voice of politics rise, not denial or weapons; the voice of democratic and social reconciliation, not anger; and the voice of coexistence and equality, not the polarization that emerges from this country.

4-A new page is being opened on the path to an honorable peace and democratic resolution. As the DEM Party, we believe that at this historic turning point, all democratic political institutions- especially the Grand National Assembly of Turkey- must take responsibility for resolving the Kurdish Issue and achieving genuine democratization in Turkey.

The voice of democracy and justice now must be raised. The historic role of the parliament in building social peace is too sacred to be overshadowed by any political agenda. Our most fundamental responsibility is to build the legal and institutional ground that will transform this historic step into lasting peace.

5-In order to ensure the success of this opportunity to shape Turkey’s democratic future, the executive power must also fulfill its historic responsibility. This will be the true guarantee of a lasting peace.

6-We extend our thanks to Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, who has assumed a historic role in the advancement of this process; the peoples of Turkey, who have paid the price for peace with their lives, their children and their tears; Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, for his support for the resolution process; President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for embracing this political will; and the main opposition leader Mr. Özgür Özel and all other opposition leaders who have shown a constructive approach to the process.

To ensure the success of this process, we call upon our political institutions, civil society organizations and most importantly each and every one of our 85 million citizens to take up the duty of protecting the peace, building it, and securing the future starting today. We wish for Turkey’s peace to become a source of hope for the Middle East and inspiration for the world.

7-As the DEM Party, we make a sacred promise to the peoples of Mesopotamia and Anatolia; we will not shy away from confronting the truth or establishing justice. We will never allow any step that wounds the spirits of those we have lost, any rhetoric that harms the process, or any action that blocks the path to peace. We will be unwavering defenders and bearers of equal citizenship, democratic politics, and peace.

8-Today, we carry both the great hope and the profound responsibility that history has placed upon us. This is not an end, but a new beginning. We conclude this declaration of will by once again honoring our dear comrade Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who devoted his life to peace and the fraternity of peoples, and whose heart always beat on the side of the oppressed.

We will bring the light of peace and fraternity to these lands, no matter what."