Political scientist Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, publisher Sebastian Budgen, and philosopher Rebecca Goldstein have expressed their support for the Peace and Democratic Society Process. In their messages they stressed that dialogue, inclusivity, and democratic guarantees are essential for a lasting peace.
Gleditsch: I strongly support efforts to settle the conflict, and urge all parties to contribute to this
Norwegian political scientist and professor Kristian Skrede Gleditsch sent the following message of support regarding the Peace and Democratic Society Process:
"The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has caused a great deal of death and destruction, and harmed both sides in the conflict.
Efforts for dialogue and democratic solutions are, in any case, better than the continuation of conflict. However, peace can only be lasting and just when it is secured by legal guarantees. In Turkey, the ongoing peace process needs to be reinforced through preventive and restorative legal regulations, and the conditions of Abdullah Öcalan — one of the main actors in the negotiation process — must be improved. The most crucial requirement in such processes is not to allow past suffering to hold the future hostage.
I strongly support efforts to settle the conflict, and urge all parties to contribute to this."
Kristian Skrede Gleditsch is Regius Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, Director of the Michael Nicholson Centre for Conflict and Cooperation, and a Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). His research interests include conflict and cooperation, democratization, and the spatial dimensions of social and political processes.
Budgen: It is hoped that for Öcalan, the principle of the Right to Hope will be put into practice in due course
Sebastian Budgen, senior editor of Verso Books, a pioneering publisher of the international left, also sent a message of support for the Peace and Democratic Society Process:
"On February 27, Abdullah Öcalan made a statement calling for peace and democratic coexistence. He suggested that the future of the Kurdish people need not be seen as predetermined and that they could work alongside other communities in the region.
Any process of social or political change benefits from being inclusive in both its goals and methods. Efforts that do not take local communities into account are less likely to gain support. Measures such as disarmament and ending hostilities can be seen as steps toward encouraging broader participation and engagement.
Efforts to promote equality and cooperation between Kurds and Turks can help address sectarian divisions and ethnic tensions. In this context, the Kurdish movement emphasizes cultural identity while also contributing to broader social and political developments.
A genuine peace process is important: progress on the Kurdish question can support regional movements in addressing wider challenges in the Middle East. Cooperation and self-determination among Kurdish, Turkish, and Arab communities can contribute to these efforts.
It is hoped that Öcalan’s detention conditions will be reviewed in light of contributions to the peace process, and that the principle of the Right to Hope will be put into practice in due course."
In addition to his work at Verso, Sebastian Budgen is also an editor at Jacobin and at Historical Materialism. Budgen has contributed as editor and author to works such as Contre l’antisémitisme et ses instrumentalisations, Philosophie et révolution. De Kant à Marx, La planète altermondialiste, and Lenin Reloaded: Toward a Politics of Truth.
Goldstein: I am extremely heartened to learn of the peace process that is underway in Turkey
American philosopher Rebecca Goldstein likewise expressed her support for the Peace and Democratic Society Process:
"I am extremely heartened to learn of the peace process that is underway between the government of Turkey and the Kurds who are living in Turkey.
The decision of the Kurdistan Workers' Party to self-dissolve was a courageously inspiring step in bringing about this historic possibility.
It has shown the world that sometimes there is a way forward out of a generations-long impasse.
Let us recognize at long last the full humanity of one another and get to work on increasing human flourishing in all its splendid diversity."
Goldstein is especially known for her books on philosophical subjects. She is an influential thinker with in-depth studies on science, religion, ethics, and human nature. Alongside her philosophical career, Goldstein has also produced significant works in literature.
25 September 2025