The Secretary General of the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), Fabrizio De Sanctis, described the decisions made at the 12th Extraordinary Congress of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a significant step toward peace. De Sanctis emphasized the importance of Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom and urged the international community to become actively involved in the process.

De Sanctis described the decisions made at the PKK’s 12th Congress as “a major step forward on the path to peace,” adding, “At this moment, I believe this is the furthest point that can be reached.”

State must take concrete steps

De Sanctis said that these decisions have inspired great confidence in the peace process and stressed that the Turkish state must respond with concrete steps. He continued: “The first thing that must be done is to release Mr. Öcalan. He must be allowed to reunite with his loved ones, his family, and his friends. He must be recognized as the key actor in reshaping relations within Turkey.”

Rights must be guaranteed

The success of the peace process, De Sanctis emphasized, depends on guaranteeing all the rights of the Kurdish people both legally and constitutionally. He said, “The Kurdish people must have the same citizenship rights as the Turkish population. There must be equal citizenship. They must fully enjoy the right to participate in political life and to preserve and practice their language and culture without any restrictions.”

The continuation of his imprisonment would not be just

De Sanctis underlined that the possibility of peace in Turkey is once again being discussed thanks to the efforts of Mr. Öcalan. He said, “Peace is made between two sides. Mr. Öcalan holds a historic role in resolving the Kurdish question. Because of this role and mission, he has been imprisoned since 1999. His release would not only be a political act but also the beginning of a concrete and historic peace process. A true peace cannot be achieved while the leader and main interlocutor remains imprisoned. It would neither be meaningful nor just. For this reason, we all hope for the immediate release of Mr. Öcalan.”

International community must take responsibility

De Sanctis emphasized that the international community must also take responsibility to ensure the success of the process and added: “The international community must demand Mr. Öcalan’s release and take steps to safeguard the peace process. Granting Mr. Öcalan honorary citizenship would be significant. It would be particularly meaningful if this were done in Italy, as the process of his capture and imprisonment began there. There is much the international community can do, but it cannot remain silent. It cannot be indifferent to such a critical and tragic issue for the Kurdish people.”