The International Peace and Democratic Society Conference has kicked off in Istanbul, with the participition of key figures directly involved in global conflict-resolution processes, as well distinguished individuals who have contributed to efforts for peace and a lasting solution in Turkey.
The two-day conference, which began today, opened with speeches by our Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan.
Hatimoğulları: Peace does not come on its own; it comes through struggle, courage, and collective effort
Highlights from Hatimoğulları’s speech:
“At this conference, we witness the sorrow of peoples who have emerged from struggles, and the quest for peace that echoes from prisons and from the streets. There is a pursuit of peace stretching from South Africa to Ireland, from the Basque Country to Catalonia, from Egypt and Yemen to Mesopotamia. Peace does not simply appear. Peace comes through struggle, through courage, and through collective effort. I believe our conference will make a profound contribution by generating a roadmap and forming a focal point for this struggle.”
“We view Mr. Abdullah Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society as profoundly historic and valuable, especially at a time when war and conflict dominate global and regional agendas and exploitation deepens. The Kurdish question is not merely Turkey’s internal matter. This call, therefore, is not only significant for Turkey but for the entire region. We all know that hundred-year-old mindsets, entrenched assumptions, and systems of oppression will not disappear easily. In such a chaotic environment, shaped by intense global and regional developments, building a democratic society is an extremely demanding and painful process. We are determined to take on this struggle. We will persevere, shoulder these difficulties, and together build peace on this land.”
“For a lasting peace, bold, paradigm-shifting, and concrete steps are essential. Everyone must recognize the significance of Mr. Öcalan’s role in securing a lasting peace. Mr. Öcalan proposes a politics in which weapons fall silent and ideas speak. Linking the democratization of Turkey with a resolution of the Kurdish question, his perspective offers a tremendous opportunity for this country. This historic moment, this historic opportunity, must be seized by all.”
Bakırhan: This peace process marks the beginning of liberation for the peoples of Turkey and the region
Highlights from Bakırhan’s speech:
“Today, we gather to share peace experiences from different parts of the world and to contribute an international perspective to the resolution process in Turkey. The World, particularly the Middle East, is undergoing tremendous change. Any region that fails to produce democratic solutions remains trapped in chaos. Turkey stands at the very center of this turbulence, and for more than a century it has had a clearly defined issue: the Kurdish question. For a hundred years, Kurds’ language, identity, and culture were denied. Today, denial may have ended, but they are still not fully integrated into the Republic with their rights and legal status.”
“Mr. Öcalan often speaks of the democratic transformation of the state and the unraveling of power relations. ‘As long as power does not weaken -even starting from interpersonal relations- true democracy is impossible,’ he says. In an era dominated by capitalist modernity, grassroots organization and the strengthening of local democracies are vital. The experiences of our friends from Sinn Féin, the Basque and Catalan movements, and South Africa show that problems long deemed unsolvable can indeed be resolved through political will and societal determination. History shows that those once labeled ‘terrorists’ can, in time, become Nobel Prize-winning architects of peace.”
“I would like to briefly outline our proposed resolution model. The nation-state crisis in the Middle East is deepening, and Turkey can overcome this crisis through a democratic transformation of its own choosing. In our view, the new political model is the Democratic Nation, embodied in a Democratic Republic that regards its peoples as a source of richness; sees diversity not as a threat but as a strength; decentralizes power through local self-government; grows upward from the grassroots rather than imposing from above; and constitutionally safeguards pluralism rather than enforcing uniformity.”
Following the speeches by our Co-Chairs, the message Mr. Öcalan sent to the conference was read out by former political prisoner (from Imralı Island) Veysi Aktaş.
6 December 2025