ISTANBUL,— Imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan said Tuesday he wants the opportunity to address the Turkish public directly, as he reaffirmed support for a peace process following decades of conflict.
Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK, is being held in solitary confinement and has spent 27 years in detention.
His message was released by lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party, who were authorized to visit him on Friday.
In the statement, he said the era of armed conflict had ended and there would be no return to violence.
He also stressed the need for broader communication so his views on the current process can be understood by a wider audience.
In 2025, the PKK formally abandoned its armed campaign against the Turkish state after more than 40 years of fighting. Turkish authorities say the conflict has killed more than 40,000 soldiers and Kurdish fighters.
Ocalan, 76, said the government should recognize that there is no ongoing destructive activity and no threat to national security.
He also called on a parliamentary commission tasked with determining the future status of the PKK and its former fighters to establish a comprehensive and inclusive legal framework without delay.
The PKK began its insurgency in 1984, seeking greater autonomy for Kurds, , which still denies the constitutional existence of Kurds, in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur Kurdistan). Kurds make up nearly 30 percent of Turkey’s population of 85 million, based on 2012 figures.
Analysts say Ocalan is regarded as a central figure in the Kurdish movement for cultural rights and democratic freedoms. Over time, he has become a strong symbol of the wider Kurdish struggle.
(With files from AFP | Agencies)
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