KCK Executive Council Member Mustafa Karasu: Öcalan still unable to participate effectively in peace process

QANDIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — In an interview with Medya Haber TV, Mustafa Karasu, a member of the Executive Council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (Koma Civakên Kurdistanê, KCK), discussed the current state of the peace process between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK) and the Turkish state.

Addressing the situation of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Karasu stated:

“The isolation of Commander Apo continues — that must be said. Yes, it is not as strict as before; some meetings have taken place, and some comrades have visited İmralı. But that is not enough — the isolation persists. In fact, it has been ongoing for 26 years, and over the past ten years, it has become even more severe. Lawyers and family members are still not allowed to visit İmralı freely. This is a clear and obvious fact. The families of other prisoners are permitted visits every 15 days, as are their lawyers. They can also visit openly during holidays. Yes, a few open visits have taken place recently, but the isolation has not yet been lifted.”

Karasu emphasized that Öcalan had responded to a public call from Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), on 1 October, doing so through a political initiative. He described this response as significant, given that Öcalan remains a central figure in the Kurdish question — a longstanding issue that, in Karasu’s view, represents the most critical and unresolved matter in Turkish politics. He argued that the Turkish state itself has acknowledged the importance of this issue, yet continues to isolate the very individual who could play a decisive role in resolving it. Karasu insisted that as long as Öcalan remains cut off from political engagement and unable to meet with political actors, any effort toward a lasting peace will remain incomplete.

He also addressed the broader implications of the unresolved Kurdish question for Turkish society. Karasu called on Turkey’s leftist movements and democratic forces to recognize their shared fate with the Kurdish struggle. He warned that continued silence or inaction would only deepen the country’s political and social crises. According to Karasu, the lack of progress on the Kurdish issue perpetuates a political climate marked by repression and authoritarianism — conditions that affect not only the Kurdish population but also those advocating for democracy, freedom, and social justice across Turkey.

Karasu further suggested that growing discontent with government pressure among leftists and democrats stems from the state’s refusal to address the Kurdish question. He argued that without a genuine solution, no meaningful democratic reform can take place. The ongoing political tension and atmosphere of fear, he said, are directly tied to the unresolved nature of the conflict. As long as the state continues to suppress dialogue and deny Öcalan a role in peace efforts, Karasu warned, any discourse on freedom, democracy, or socialism would amount to little more than self-deception. He concluded by urging all democratic actors in Turkey to understand the urgency of the issue and take a principled stand in support of a political resolution.