Nearly three months have passed since Abdullah Öcalan shared his 'Call for Peace and a Democratic Society' with the public on 27 February. Following the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) 12th Congress, where the organization announced its decision to disarm and dissolve itself, public debate has continued.

Although the PKK has taken the necessary steps so far, the other party addressed in the call, the state and the government, has yet to take any concrete action. In Kurdistan, young people generally support a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question. They want the new phase to move forward with greater sincerity and determination, and they believe the state must now take initiative to make that possible.

Mustafa Yaşodun, a member of the Youth Assembly of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), stated that the PKK’s decision is a move that could open the way for democracy in Turkey. He said, “This step is also part of a transformative stance, as described by Abdullah Öcalan, one that brings change by transforming itself. The call Mr. Öcalan shared on 27 February will pave the way for democratic politics in Turkey. The youth have embraced this call with great strength. They will fulfill their duties and responsibilities.”

Youth is embracing the process with determination

Mustafa Yaşodun noted that young people who seek an honorable peace have embraced the process initiated by Mr. Öcalan with a deep sense of seriousness. Yaşodun said, “The Kurdish people inevitably experienced this process with great emotion. Because this is a people who have existed with the PKK for 50 years. The Kurdish people have embraced this process with great seriousness. Mr. Öcalan had already drawn the roadmap for this process in 2012. His evaluation titled ‘The Roadmap,’ written in 2012, is essentially what now lays the foundation for this phase. As young people, we feel a sense of responsibility to lead in communicating and explaining this process to society. That is why we are carrying out various initiatives. We are trying to spread this process more widely across society. Recently, we have launched several campaigns to that end.”

The Kurdish people have always stood for peace

Mustafa Yaşodun emphasized that the state must take the Kurdish people's demand for peace seriously and said, “The Kurdish people’s achievements must now be officially recognized. Kurdish rights must be enshrined both in the constitution and in binding agreements. At the same time, education in one’s mother tongue, an essential human need, must be guaranteed. Undemocratic practices, such as the appointment of government trustees to municipalities, must end. For fifty years, the Kurdish people have waged a struggle rooted in fundamental demands, and these demands must be met immediately. If the state is truly committed to peace, it must approach it with seriousness and take concrete steps. The Kurdish people have never been the side that wanted war. They have always been the side that stood for peace.”