Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has sent a message to the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), urging them to support a legal resolution to the Kurdish issue through the drafting of a democratic constitution for Syria.
Tulay Hatimogullari, co-chair of Türkiye’s pro-Kurdish Democracy and Equality of Peoples Party, stated that Ocalan is preparing a proposal to address the Kurdish issue in Syria, Türkiye, Iraq, and the broader region.
She emphasized that his plan prioritizes a legal and democratic resolution, rejecting violence and conflict. The message has been delivered to the Kurdistan Democratic Society Congress, the Kurdish National Congress in Europe, and the SDF, which is led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria.
According to party spokesperson Ayshe Gul, Ocalan recently sent messages from his prison cell to three key entities: the SDF in northeast Syria, PKK leadership in the Qandil Mountains of Iraq, and Kurdish political organizations in Europe. However, the specific content of these messages has not been disclosed.
Ocalan was expected to call on PKK militants to disarm on February 15, coinciding with the 26th anniversary of his arrest in Kenya in 1999. This initiative was part of a proposal made last October by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a partner in the ruling coalition. However, the call has yet to materialize.
A delegation from the Democracy and Equality of Peoples Party visited Ocalan twice in prison, on December 28 and January 22. They later traveled to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region between February 16 and 19 to discuss Ocalan’s initiative with Kurdish leaders. Öcalan reportedly expressed his willingness to issue a call for the PKK to lay down its arms, in response to ongoing regional developments, particularly in Syria and Gaza.
The delegation is set to meet Ocalan again in his prison to update him on discussions with Turkish political parties and Kurdish leadership in Iraq. His anticipated statement—possibly a video message—could be broadcast from the Turkish Parliament during a session of his party’s parliamentary group, potentially initiating a new process to resolve the Kurdish issue in Türkiye and the region.
Türkiye considers the YPG-led SDF an extension of the PKK in Syria and continues to push for its integration into a unified Syrian army. Ankara has also warned of military action against Kurdish forces in northern Syria unless foreign fighters leave and local Kurdish fighters disarm to join the Syrian military.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to visit Türkiye on Sunday to discuss developments in Syria and the Ukraine war with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. After Ankara, Lavrov will head to Tehran for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, focusing on Syria.
Lavrov’s visit follows his recent meeting with Fidan at the G20 foreign ministers’ summit in Johannesburg. Last December, Fidan, Lavrov, and Araghchi also met in Doha under the Astana peace process framework, where Türkiye, Russia, and Iran serve as guarantors.
