DEM party gears up for Turkey-wide peace campaign

The co-chairs of the Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, have made important statements about the nationwide campaign for peace in Turkey. In their statements, they place particular emphasis on the anticipated call for peace by the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, which is expected to shape the next steps in the political process. They called on all sectors of society to actively participate in efforts to find a peaceful solution.

Speaking to Medya Haber TV, Hatimoğulları outlined the activities planned for after Öcalan’s statement. She said the party would hold meetings in all of Turkey’s 81 provinces to explain the meaning of his message and discuss the prospects for peace. She emphasised the need for transparency and inclusiveness, stressing that the process should involve a wide range of social and political actors.

At the third ordinary congress of the DEM party in Istanbul, Bakırhan echoed this sentiment, saying that Öcalan’s expected call would provide a roadmap for democratisation and a peaceful future. He stressed that the initiative was not only about the Kurdish question, but a broader struggle for peace and justice in Turkey. He described it as a moment for workers, the marginalised and all those seeking an end to the conflict to unite in pursuit of a democratic solution. Bakırhan added that it was the responsibility of the party and its supporters to take this message across the country, from Thrace to the Black Sea.

Hatimoğulları has also taken the message of peace to international platforms, participating in conferences in the UK and Germany organised by Alevi associations on the theme ‘Talking About Peace’. During these discussions, she stressed the need for a democratic and legal framework to deal with the Kurdish issue and called for a move away from the politics of conflict and repression. She called for wider public participation, asserting that peace must be embraced not only by the state but by society as a whole.

Both leaders stressed that achieving peace requires a collective effort and that the period ahead will be critical. Hatimoğulları noted that social participation in the peace process is crucial, while Bakırhan stressed that members and supporters of the DEM Party will play a key role in ensuring that Öcalan’s call reaches all corners of Turkey.

With this campaign, the party aims to create a broad public engagement with the peace process and push for meaningful political steps. The next phase is expected to build on the momentum of Öcalan’s message as DEM Party officials prepare to expand their outreach efforts. The party has invited all political groups, civil society organisations and communities across Turkey to play an active role in shaping a peaceful and democratic future.