Abdullah Ocalan - Notice of Motion
In 2024 Mr Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish people who has been imprisoned by the Turkish government for 26 years, was able to meet with MPs from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, after five years of no contact and stated that he is willing to contribute to peace in the region
I Cate Faehrmann to move -
(1) That this House notes that:
(a) In 2024 Mr Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish people who has been imprisoned by the Turkish government for 26 years, was able to meet with MPs from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, after five years of no contact and stated that he is willing to contribute to peace in the region;
(b) Then on 27 February 2025, Mr Ocalan’s handwritten message calling for peace was read live to the world in Kurdish, Turkish, English and Arabic including in Australia in Kurdish community centres and it read in full:
Call for Peace and a Democratic Society
The PKK was born in the 20th century, in the most violent epoch of the history of humanity, amidst the two World wars, under the shadow of the experience of real socialism and the cold war around the World. The outright denial of Kurdish reality, restrictions on basic rights and freedoms – especially freedom of expression – played a significant role in its emergence and development.
The PKK has been under the heavy realities of the century and the system of real socialism in terms of its adopted theory, program, strategy and tactics. In the 1990s, with the collapse of real socialism due to internal dynamics, the dissolution of the denial of Kurdish identity in the country, and improvements in freedom of expression, led to weakening of the PKK´s foundational meaningfulness and resulted in excessive repetition. Therefore, it has run its course like its counterparts and has necessitated its dissolution.
Throughout the history of more than 1000 years, Turkish and Kurdish relations were defined in terms of mutual cooperation and alliance, and Turks and Kurds have found it essential to remain in this voluntary alliance to maintain their existence and survive against hegemonic Powers.
The last 200 years of capitalist modernity have been marked by primarily with the aim to break this alliance. The forces involved, in line with their class-based interests, have played a key role in furthering this objective. With monist interpretations of the Republic, this process has accelerated. Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile, without excluding consideration for beliefs with the spirit of fraternity.
The need for a democratic society is inevitable. The PKK, the longest and most extensive insurgency and armed movement in the history of the Republic, found social base and support, and was primarily inspired by the fact that the channels of democratic politics were closed.
The inevitable outcome of the extreme nationalist deviations – such as a separate nation-state, federation, administrative autonomy, or culturalist solutions – fails to answer the historical sociology of the society.
Respect for identities, free self-expression, democratic self-organization of each segment of society based on their own socio-economic and political structures, are only possible through the existence of a democratic society and political space.
The second century of the Republic can achieve and assure permanent and fraternal continuity only if it is crowned with democracy. There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.
The language of the epoch of peace and democratic society needs to be developed in accordance with this reality.
The call made by Mr. Devlet Bahceli, along with the will expressed by Mr. President, and the positive responses from the other political parties towards the known call, has created an environment in which I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call.
As in the case with any modern community and party whose existence has not been abolished by force, convene your congress to integrate with the state and society voluntarily and make a decision; all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.
I convey my greetings to all those who believe in co-existence and who look forward to my call.
February 25, 2025
Abdullah Öcalan
(c) In response to this statement, the PKK (the Kurdistan’s Workers Party) has expressed they are willing to disarm and make progressive political steps on the condition of Mr Ocalan’s freedom; and
(d) The statement has sparked expressions of support internationally, including parties and politicians from the US, UK, France, Germany, Catalonia, Italy, Sweden, and UN and EU representatives.
(2) That this House:
(a) Recognises that the broadcast of Mr Ocalan’s statement is a historic step towards peace and recognition in Turkiye and for Kurdish and Turkish people, and is of great significance to the Kurdish community of New South Wales;
(b) Calls on the Turkish government for the immediate release of Mr Abdullah Ocalan; and
(c) Adds their voice to the international calls of support for the progression of the peace process in Turkiye and the Middle East, and supports the democratic rights and freedoms of the Kurdish community.