First statement from DEM Party on PKK laying down arms: Time to expand the struggle

Following the destruction of weapons by 30 PKK members today, the first statement has come from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). In its statement, the DEM Party said, "Now is the time for us all to take steps for the democratic Turkey of the future by making democratic, political, and legal arrangements; it is time to expand the struggle for democratic politics."

The DEM Party's statement is as follows:

"One of the turning points in the century-long history of the Middle East and Turkey is being experienced today. The video call for peace, coming 26 years later from Imralı, is the most powerful expression of an appeal to the ancient spirit of these lands.

Following the call from Imralı, a new era is beginning for the resolution of the Kurdish issue and the construction of a Democratic Turkey with the PKK's weapon-burning ceremony.

The PKK's decision to bid farewell to arms has revealed the assurance that not only the Kurdish issue but all of Turkey's problems will be solved through democratic means.

The PKK members' ceremony of bidding farewell to arms is an invitation to a democratic, fair, equal, and free life. This ceremony has increased our peoples' hope for the future.

Our hope to see the days when a century of pain ends and brotherhood triumphs has grown. Peace is our common gain.

On this sacred journey, we will not leave any individual or any segment behind. From the fertile lands of Anatolia to the productive plains of Thrace, from the wavy coasts of the Black Sea to the ancient cities of Mesopotamia, every citizen will be a witness and partner to this democratic transformation.

The winners will be the peoples. The winners will be equality, democracy, and peace. We will defend this process with honor, patience, and persistence.

With these feelings and thoughts, we wholeheartedly salute the move toward disarmament and the transition to democratic politics, which the Peace and Democratic Society Group initiated with a historic will on July 11, 2025. Because this step initiates a new era not only in the Kurdish people's legitimate struggle for freedom but also in the search for peace, equality, and democratic transformation in Turkey and the entire Middle East.

Now is the time for us all to take steps for the democratic Turkey of the future by making democratic, political, and legal arrangements; it is time to expand the struggle for democratic politics."

News Source: 12punto