The Confederation of Kurdish Communities in Germany (KON-MED) calls on the German government to seize the historic opportunity for peace in Turkey and the Middle East.

In a statement on Tuesday, KON-MED said that, following the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the declared end of armed struggle, Germany must play an active role in the emerging peace process, both politically and diplomatically.

“Now is the time to pull out all the stops,” said KON-MED co-chairs Emine Ruken Akça and Kerem Gök in Berlin this evening.“The federal government must work toward a comprehensive democratic dialogue while also rethinking its domestic policy toward Kurdish organizations. In particular, the criminalization of Kurdish activism in Germany is no longer tenable.”

KON-MED's appeal followed the publication of the final declaration of the 12th PKK Congress, in which the PKK declared its self-dissolution and the end of its armed struggle. This step follows Abdullah Öcalan's widely acclaimed ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ on February 27 and the ceasefire announced by the PKK immediately thereafter despite ongoing air strikes by the Turkish military.

KON-MED sees this decision as a historic turning point that extends far beyond the Kurdish movement: “A new chapter is being opened for the democratization of Turkey, but also for a peaceful order throughout the Middle East.”

At the heart of the demands is the release of Abdullah Öcalan, who remains isolated on the prison island of Imrali. According to KON-MED, his participation in the process is not only symbolically important, but practically indispensable, and peace can only be achieved on an equal footing and with credible political conditions.

KON-MED noted that the State Department had already signaled its willingness to support a political process. Now is the time to follow up these words with concrete initiatives, it added.

KON-MED calls for a rethink of German domestic policy beyond foreign policy. “The current practice of placing Kurdish associations, cultural institutions, and activists under general suspicion or prosecuting them must come to an end. With the PKK's declared renunciation of violence, there is no longer any excuse for repressive measures. This declaration calls for a fundamental rethink—politically, legally, and socially,” said Akça and Gök.

KON-MED also called on German civil society to become more actively involved in promoting peace in Kurdistan, Turkey, and the Middle East. "Given the millions of people with family or cultural roots in the region, the process has a direct impact on the social climate in Germany. Peace is not a regional issue—it affects us all,” said the KON-MED co-chairs.