Abdullah Öcalan’s historic “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” of 27 February was discussed at the University of Geneva. Titled “Abdullah Öcalan’s call and initiative: Projects for a democratic and peaceful solution in Kurdistan and the world,” the conference at the Uni-Mail campus was organized by the Geneva Kurdish Center for Human Rights, the Serhildan Solidarity Network, the Geneva Democratic Kurdish Community Center, and the Geneva Student Union (CLAE).

The conference was moderated by Swiss lawyer Olivier Peter. Speakers included Nilüfer Koç, a member of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and Professor Miloon Kothari from the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), who is also a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on adequate housing.

Olivier Peter: There can be no peace without justice

Delivering the opening speech, lawyer Olivier Peter emphasized the importance of the process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. He underlined that Geneva, with its significant international standing, should be among the strong supporters of this process. Reminding that the UN has a duty and responsibility to secure peace around the world, Peter stated, “Every country that is a member of the UN has a responsibility to establish peace and support peace processes in accordance with the international treaties to which they are signatories.”

Peter stressed that Öcalan and the Kurdish Freedom Movement are at a historic moment of decision-making for the solution of the Kurdish question. He said, “We are standing at the threshold of a historic process. Today, thousands of people in Turkey and Kurdistan are awaiting justice. This process is not only about laying down arms but also requires addressing and eliminating the root causes of the war. We all know very well that without justice, there can be no peace.”

Nilüfer Koç: Despite the severest attacks, the state could not defeat the Kurds

Kurdish politician Nilüfer Koç then took the floor and began her speech by addressing the historical dimension of the Kurdish question and the capture of Abdullah Öcalan. She then explained how the renewed talks between the Turkish state and the Kurdish Freedom Movement came about. The Kurdish politician stated that through the so-called “Collapse Action Plan,” the Turkish state has waged an all-out war against the Kurds for the past ten years: “Despite the severest attacks, they could not defeat the Kurds. Their main goal was to eliminate both the autonomous region in Syria and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) entirely. But they failed. The Kurds paid a heavy price, but they resisted for the sake of freedom.”

Koç pointed out that developments in both the world and the Middle East led the Turkish state to initiate a new process with Öcalan. She said, “This demand came from the most nationalist wing of the state, from Devlet Bahçeli himself. He even invited Öcalan to speak in parliament. Öcalan responded positively to such a step. The Kurds are a highly political people. Despite all its power, the state could not break the will of the Kurdish people. Taking all these developments into account, Öcalan made a historic call that opened the door to a new process.”

PKK successfully completed its mission

Nilüfer Koç underlined the importance of Öcalan’s call on 27 February and said, “Leader Öcalan says that the PKK has successfully completed its mission. Before the PKK, Kurds were afraid to reveal their own identity. Thanks to the significant achievements created by the PKK, the Kurds have gained significant rights. No one can deny or ignore them anymore. Leader Öcalan is now opening a new phase for the Kurdish Freedom Movement. He wants the paradigm and ideas he advocates to be realized everywhere.”

We must fight for Öcalan’s freedom

Nilüfer Koç also addressed the decisions of the PKK 12th Congress to disband and disarm, noting that the implementation of these decisions depends on the concrete political and legal steps to be taken by the state. She stated that Öcalan wants to include all segments of society in this process, adding: “Before making the historic call, he wrote letters to many different groups and asked their opinions. Today, he seeks to socialize this process. He wants to meet with intellectual circles from all fields, to discuss and share views with them. In this context, a campaign called ‘I want to meet with Abdullah Öcalan’ has been launched. Everyone should support this campaign and advocate for Leader Öcalan’s freedom.”

Prof Kothari: There is much to learn from Öcalan

Professor Miloon Kothari from the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and UN Special Rapporteur delivered a presentation emphasizing the importance of Öcalan’s ideas: “There is much we need to learn from Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish movement. The Kurdish Freedom Movement is not only courageous but also ideological. With the ideas he has put forward, Abdullah Öcalan has created a movement unlike many others in the world. What distinguishes Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish movement from others is the implementation of these ideas in practice. This is not something easily achieved.”

Professor Kothari stated that Öcalan’s ideas are based on recognizing one’s own reality and the concept of democratic confederalism: “Abdullah Öcalan has a structure that sees not only the reality of the Kurdish people and movement but also regional and international realities. He develops ideas and policies by taking these realities into account. At the core of his ideas lies the great importance of raising social consciousness in every sense. His observation that ‘social struggle continues’ is highly significant. Through the theses of democratic confederalism, he promotes the coexistence of differences. He rejects the boundaries drawn between peoples and differences, places women’s freedom at the center of his ideas, and advocates radical change. He rejects the state or construction of the state based on a single nation. He radically argues that social democracy and freedom are only possible through the freedom of women.”

Öcalan does not only advocate women’s freedom, but also develops its science

Professor Kothari further stated the following, “Abdullah Öcalan argues that women’s freedom and equality are not merely indicators of social freedom and equality. He emphasizes that a corresponding theory, program, organizational structure, and mechanisms of action are also required. At this point, his studies of Jineology (Jineoloji, the science of women) carry great importance. In this context, another inspiring and meaningful idea closely related to efforts to redefine international human rights documents is that individual and collective (social) rights are inseparable within the struggle for freedom. According to this approach, when the principles of rights and freedoms are applied to address problems of democratization, artificially separating individual and collective rights creates various problems and leads to deadlocks. Such separation contradicts the nature of society. Rights and freedoms cannot exist without the individual. To deprive an individual of rights and freedoms means depriving the collective to which that individual belongs. Similarly, the contrary is also true: if the collective is deprived of rights and freedoms, the individuals within it will suffer the same deprivation. In short, rights and freedoms cannot exist separately; they gain meaning and shared reality only when they encompass both the individual and the collective. This is one of the strongest aspects of the Kurdish movement; while grounding itself in the collective structure, it does not ignore individual rights.”

Öcalan defines the question of ecology as nature’s rebellion

Addressing the importance Öcalan attaches to ecology Kothari said, “Today, one of the most fundamental issues of our time is the question of ecology. This issue is currently being discussed at the UN and has become the focus of a global mobilization led by the youth. Abdullah Öcalan’s writings on this subject are framed within what he calls ecological life. He defines the events as ‘nature’s rebellion.’

Abdullah Öcalan says that whatever applies to women also applies to the environment. As the science of ecology develops, awareness grows as well. And as awareness grows, the movement expands. This field is where civil society movements are most widespread. It is also a field of struggle that brings together socialists and anarchists. It is one of the movements where opposition to the system is felt most deeply, because it directly affects the entire society. Participation in the environmental struggle has now gained a transnational and interclass character. It is extremely important to evaluate human effort, resistance, and capacity in harmony with nature.”

Öcalan and Gandhi share similar perspectives

Professor Kothari pointed out the strong similarities between the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan and those of Mahatma Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian Independence Movement, and stated: “We are also facing a similar problem of colonization. We, too, have to struggle. What is striking in India is that many of the ideas and practices that led to independence from Britain are still kept alive within social movements. This situation may offer important lessons in light of the new opportunities created by Abdullah Öcalan’s call.

The extreme fragility of global peace and security today forces us to review the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. We must ask whether the core concepts he introduced are still relevant today.

In my view, these concepts remain highly valid. At the heart of Gandhi’s contribution are five main principles that can serve as inspiration for other freedom movements around the world today.

The first is non-violence. This is particularly significant for the Kurdish struggle, as the movement has entered a phase of non-violent resistance. The second is the concept known as Satyagraha, meaning ‘the power of truth,’ which is the spiritual and moral principle guiding non-violent resistance. The third is Sarvodaya; ‘the welfare of all.’ The fourth is Swaraj, meaning ‘self-rule’ or ‘self-governance,’ which is closely linked to both individual and social freedom. Lastly comes trusteeship, which refers to responsibility toward the earth and the fair distribution of wealth and resources. For Gandhi, Satyagraha, namely peaceful resistance driven by the power of truth, was deeply important. This idea has inspired many movements around the world.

Looking at Gandhi’s principles, we can see a vision and understanding of inner values that closely align with Abdullah Öcalan’s perspectives. When we examine autonomous regions in different parts of the world, we see that indigenous peoples are struggling with problems similar to those faced by the Kurdish people. There is much to learn from these similarities, as many still live under ongoing forms of colonialism.”

Kurds should engage more actively with the UN

Kothari also emphasized the need to strengthen the ties between the Kurdish Freedom Movement and social movements in India, stating: “Meeting some Kurdish activists in India and seeing how they have established connections with institutions and social movements was very valuable for me. Both sides can gain a lot from these relationships. Indian civil society and its movements can also learn a great deal from the Kurdish experience of self-governance. And I would like to conclude my remarks with this call: it is very important for the Kurdish struggle to engage more actively with the UN, especially with the United Nations Human Rights Program.

There should be contact with UN special rapporteurs and treaty bodies. In particular, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is very significant, because the treaty it monitors includes a provision on the right to self-determination, which is a crucial issue in terms of internal self-governance.

I also believe that the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism offers many opportunities. This mechanism is a system in which the human rights practices of all member states are reviewed by other member states of the UN. We must make efforts to ensure that this process functions effectively and that concrete proposals on the Kurdish issue are brought onto the agenda at an early stage. And I would be pleased to offer my assistance in this regard.”

Öcalan is an international leader, and we must turn to him

Professor Kothari concluded his presentation with the following remarks: “Finally, I want to say this: today, there is a serious lack of global leadership in the world. But when I read Abdullah Öcalan’s writings and books and closely examine the Kurdish movement, I see that Öcalan is someone who should be taken as an example in terms of global leadership. Öcalan is an international leader, and we must turn to him.”

The conference ended following a question-and-answer session after the presentations.