Anti-war activist and Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams sent a message of support for Mr. Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society.
The message reads as follows:
“Like so many others, I fully support the new efforts to build peace between the Kurds and the Turks. Decades of enmity can only be resolved through open and honest discussion leading to true commitment to peace and democracy. In our open letter in support of Öcalan’s call of February 27, 2025, eighty-eight Nobel Laureates across all disciplines recognized the importance of his call and the courage it took not only to call for the disbanding of the PKK but also to disarm before peace has taken root. But change does not happen simply because we wish it would. The Turkish government and relevant international bodies must take action in kind.”
Jody Williams is an American political activist known for her work in banning anti-personnel landmines, her defense of human rights (especially those of women), and her efforts to promote new understandings of security in today's world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work toward the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines. Jody Williams was among the 88 Nobel laureates who wrote a letter to Erdoğan calling for Mr. Öcalan’s release.
15 September 2025