NEWS CENTER – The final declaration of the conference held at the UK Parliament, discussing peace and solution efforts in Turkey and the Middle East, emphasized that the fundamental demands is the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.
The international conference organized yesterday at the UK Parliament by the Freedom for Öcalan Trade Union Campaign and the Centre for Kurdish Progress addressed peace and solution efforts primarily in Turkey and among the Kurds, as well as in the broader Middle East.
The conference, consisting of three sessions, brought together MPs, academics, journalists, trade unionists, and civil society representatives. It was hosted by Baroness Foster and Baroness Verma from the Conservative Party.
PEACE EFFORTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The first session titled “The Path to Peace: Regional Stability in Turkey, the Kurds, and the Middle East” was chaired by politician Osman Baydemir. Speakers included Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party; journalist and academic Ezgi Başaran from Oxford University; Rojavan journalist Ferhat Hemmi; and political theorist Prof. Abbas Vali.
Tuncer Bakırhan discussed their parliamentary efforts for a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey and emphasized the importance of dialogue and negotiation for peace among peoples.
Ezgi Başaran noted that Israel’s attacks on Gaza forced Turkey to reposition its foreign policy, which could bring peace back onto the domestic agenda.
Ferhad Hemmi spoke about the decisive influence of Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas on the self-administration model in Rojava and the structure of social mobilization in the Kobanê revolution.
Prof. Abbas Vali evaluated the historical evolution of the Kurdish movement and stressed that peace is impossible without democracy, emphasizing the necessity of developing democratic society and processes.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE EXPERIENCES
The second session, titled “International Peace and Reconciliation Processes,” was chaired by Clare Baker, a leading figure in the UK trade union movement. Speakers included Mariela Kohon, Executive Member of the British Trade Union Congress (TUC) and advisor to the Colombian peace process, and Seán Byers, representing the Irish trade union and political education organization Trademark.
The session discussed historical lessons and social foundations of peace and reconciliation processes. Through examples from Colombia, Ireland, and South Africa, the importance of dialogue in peace processes was highlighted.
Kohon drew attention to the legitimizing power of relationships established with non-state actors based on her experience in Colombian negotiations. Byers explained how the peace process in Northern Ireland was socialized through active union participation.
Maurice Glasman, a Labour Party and House of Lords member, also joined the panel. Glasman recalled that a Kurdish conference planned at the same venue two years ago was canceled and emphasized the value of holding such a conference amid current political developments. He stated that his party should also take responsibility to help solidify peace initiatives between Kurds and Turkey.
A message sent by Sinn Féin to the conference was also read. It described Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 call as “an important turning point,” stating, “Öcalan must be released; his freedom is essential for building an inclusive process.”
The message also emphasized the need to establish dialogue between Turkey and Kurdish political representatives and that peace can only be achieved with the participation of all parties.
THE UK’S ROLE AND FREEDOM FOR ÖCALAN
The third and final session titled “Promoting Peace: The Role of the UK” was chaired by Simon Dubbins, spokesperson for the Freedom for Öcalan Campaign and a prominent figure in the British trade union movement for 30 years.
The session was opened by Baroness Verma from the Conservative Party. Verma expressed pleasure in hosting such a conference at Parliament, highlighting peace as an important and valuable initiative and stating that the issue can be openly discussed on the right grounds. Baroness Foster also hosted the session.
Speakers included Dr. Stephen Knight, a legal expert and lawyer from Oxford University, and Meral Çiçek from the Kurdish Women’s Movement. Knight discussed the historical and legal dimensions of the PKK’s ban in the UK, emphasizing that criminalization policies are not only national but also part of international security regimes and that such bans complicate peace processes.
Meral Çiçek drew attention to the dialectic between women’s freedom and social freedom, stating that peace and democracy are impossible without women, whose historical mission and leadership are decisive at every step.
FINAL DECLARATION
The Final Declaration shared with the public by Simon Dubbins at the end of the conference, contained participants’ common demands:
"This conference reaffirms our commitment to peace, justice, and the protection of fundamental rights for the Kurdish people, the peoples of Turkey and the wider Middle East.
This conference therefore asserts:
We strongly endorse the 27th February statement by Abdullah Öcalan calling for the resumption of peace efforts in Turkey. This call represents a vital opportunity to rebuild dialogue and trust.
We support the constructive steps taken by Kurdish representatives to further peace. These efforts demonstrate a genuine commitment to nonviolence, dialogue, and long-term political solutions.
We urge the Turkish government to take immediate and concrete steps toward a renewed peace process. These must include, as a priority, the establishment of a cross-party parliamentary commission to oversee the process. Broad political inclusion, transparency, and accountability are essential. The reported potential for this commission to be formed by mid-July adds urgency to this call.
We recognise that sustainable peace is a long-term process. However, essential steps can and must be taken now to lay a foundation for future progress.
We call for the immediate implementation of ECHR rulings concerning political prisoners, including Abdullah Öcalan, Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and Osman Kavala, among others. Political imprisonment undermines both legal standards and the possibility of peace. Turkey must honour its international legal commitments.
We call on the UK government to play a positive diplomatic role in supporting peace efforts in Turkey and in the protection of Kurdish rights in Syria.
We urge UK support for the democratic aspirations of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and its emphasis on a pluralistic Syrian future.
We call on the UK to end the criminalisation of the Kurdish community and activists within its own borders.
We call for the ban on the PKK to be reconsidered and the possibility of political dialogue to be recognized, as was the case in the peace processes in Northern Ireland, Colombia, and South Africa.
We believe that British civil society, trade unions, community organizations, think tanks, academics, and institutions should actively engage with the government and political actors to mobilize diplomatic support for a sustainable peace process in Turkey.
We reiterate our fundamental demand that the isolation policy against Abdullah Öcalan be ended. We defend Abdullah Öcalan's right to life and freedom of work in accordance with the principles established by the European Court of Human Rights and the concept of the “right to hope.” Abdullah Öcalan's role in the peace talks has been critical in the past, and progress is not possible without him being granted access to legal advisors and communication channels.
We call for an immediate end to military operations, particularly air strikes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. While a temporary ceasefire and negotiations are ongoing in Rojava, we recognize that the violence in northern Iraq poses a major obstacle to peace.
We emphasize that dialogue, inclusiveness, and respect for human rights are the only valid means of achieving a just and lasting peace for Turkey and the region."