Abdullah Öcalan’s call for peace on February 27, 2025 was a pivotal moment for Turkey and the Kurdish people, aiming to end decades of conflict and pave the way for a democratic society. This call represents a vital opportunity to bring stability to Turkey and the Middle East, protect human rights, and facilitate reconciliation.
All parties should seize this historic moment to work together for peace and justice for all Turks and Kurds. The positive response of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to Öcalan’s call is an encouraging development that all sides should welcome. The involvement of Öcalan in the peace process is crucial for its success. After more than 25 years in prison, his release would not only uphold his fundamental rights but also signal a commitment to addressing the needs and rights of the Kurdish community.
We, the undersigned, call on Turkey and all parties involved to take decisive steps towards a lasting peace. We invite all concerned intellectuals, women’s movements and activists, artists, academics, journalists, jurists, and human rights and civil society activists to sign the statement and support our call.
This process should lead to the establishment of a society where all Turks and Kurds can enjoy peace, equality, and freedom and look forward to a better future together. The international community’s support is crucial in realising this vision and recognising the transformative impact of peace in Turkey on the entire region.
Signed by:
- Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
- Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
- Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Laureates
- Elfriede Jelinek, Nobel Prize in Literature
- Ela Gandh, Founder ofthe Gandhi Development Trus, S. Africa
- Massimo D’Alema, Former President of the Council of Ministers, Italy
- Konstantin Wecker, Composer, Author and Actor, Germany
- Gerry Adams, Former President of Sinn Féin, Ireland
- Declan Kearney, National Chairperson of Sinn Féin, MLA, Ireland
- Andy Carl, Independent Advisor on Peace processes
- Aragones Pere, Former President of Catalunya
- Barbara Spinelli, Co-President of European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights / ELDH)
- Brian Currin, South African international mediator and HHRR lawyer
- Harold Good, Irish Methodist, peacemaker, witness of the IRA decommissioning process
- Heike Geisweid, Co-President of MAF-DAD
- Lady Helena Kennedy, of the Shaws LT KC -Director of the International Bar Association´s Institute of Human Rights
- Kariane Westrheim, Chair of the European Union Turkey Civic Commission
- Ögmundur Jonasson, Former Minister of Justice of Iceland
- Ronnie Kasrils, Former South African Minister of State Security
- Rev. Moss Ntlha, General Secretary of The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
- Arnaldo Otegi, EHBildu Secretary General
- Monica Mc Williams, Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC)
- Prof. Matt Meyer, Secretary General, International Peace Research Association, USA
- Carles Puigdemont, President of Catalonia in Exile
- Jonas Staal, Visual Artist, Netherlands
- Dr. Walter Baier, President of the European Left Party
- Debbie Bookchin, Journalist and Author, USA
- Vincent Baudriller, Director of the Theatre-Vidy, Lausanne Switzerland
- Caroline Barneaud, Director of Artistic and International Projects, Theatre-Vidy, Lausanne Switzerland
- Krish Govender, Member of the Bureau of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, S. Africa
- Zubeida Jaffer, Journalist and Author, S. Africa
- Prof. Devan Pillay, Global Labor University & University of the Witwatersrand, S. Africa
- Rev. Sidney Luckett, Former Director, Board of Social Responsibility, Anglican Church of S. Africa
- Barbara Steiner, Director of Transform! Europe
- Monica Mc Williams, Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC)
- Ephraim Cortez, President of NUPL (National Union of Peoples Lawyers, Philippines
- Robert Sabata Gripekoven, Hnr. President of European Democratic Lawyers
- Czarina Golda S. Musni, Unions of Peoples in Mindanao
- Fabio Marcelli, CRED
- Michela Marcelli, CRED
- Liam Welch, The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, SLAI
- Gorka Elejabarrieta Diaz, Member of the Senate of Spain, EHBildu
- Victoria Sandino, Colombian Peace Negotiator and Peace Signatory
- Vicenç Vidal, Deputy of Més per Mallorca and The Plurinational Group Sumar in the Congress of Deputies
- Marta Madrenas i Mir, Member of Parliament, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for Junts x Catalunya in the Spanish Congress of Deputies
- Mikel Burzako, Responsible for Foreign Affairs of Bask Nationalist Party EAJ-PNV
- Alvaro Jimenez Millan, Government Delegate for Peacebuilding with the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia AGC Group
- Jordi Cuixart, Defender of Catalonia’s right to self-determination, political prisoner
- David Fernandez, Journalist and former member of the Catalan Parliament for CUP-Països Catalans
- Xavier Antich, President of Òmnium Cultural NGO
- Maryam Madji, Goncourt Prize-Awarded Writer
- Francis Wurtz, Honorary Member of the European Parliament
- Gérard Mordillat, Writer, Poet, Film-Maker
- Carole Mann, Author and President of Femaid
- François Devedjian, Lawyer
- Nils Andersson, Publisher, Former Co-President of the Association for International Humanitarian Law,
- Pascal Savoldelli, Communist Senator for Val-de-Marne
- Pouria Amirshahi, Member of the Parliament (The Green Party EELV- France)
- Joël Dutto, Honorary General Councilor of B-d-R- France
- Geneviève Garrigos, Councilor of Paris
- Fabien Gay, Senator and Director of the newspaper L’humanité
- Pascal Torre, University Professor
- Fabien Roussel, National Secretary of the French Communist Party -PCF
- Danielle Simonnet, Member of Parliament for Paris, co-founder of Après
- Andreas Schieder, MEP, member of the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria)
- Petra Bayr, MP of the SPÖ, Austria
- Dlin Shams Asadi, Human Rights Commissioner and Head of the Human Rights Office of the City of Vienna
- Paul Stich, MP of the SPÖ, Austria
- Erkki Tuomioja, Historian and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Finland
- Syksy Räsänen, Senior Researcher and Activist, Finland
- Ulla Klötzer, Women for Peace-Global Women for Peace United Against NATO – GWUAN), Finland
- Olli Tammilehto, Writer and Independent Researcher, Finland
- Olli-Pekka Haavisto, Civil Society Activist, Finland
- Pinja Vuorinen, Chairperson of Finnish Left Youth
- Marko Ulvila, Author and Democracy Activist, Finland
- Ville Lähde, Ph.D. Researcher and Author, Finland
- Prof. Antti Salminen, University of Arts Helsinki
- Markku Kangaspuro, Chair Person of the Peace Committee, Finland
- Jaana Kanninen, Journalist, Finnland
- Prof. Thomas Wallgren, City Councilor, Helsinki
- Bahram Rahmani, Writer and Political Analyst, Sweden
- Elahe Sadr, Feminist and Political Activist, Sweden
- Behzad Karimi, Writer and Political Analyst, Sweden
- Mogens Lykketoft, Former Danish Foreign Minister and President of the United Nations General Assembly 2015-2016
- Pernille Frahm, Former Member of the Danish and European Parliament
- Bjørn Elmquist, Former Member of the Defence Council, Former MP&Member of PACE
- Thorkild Høyer,Lawyer,Founder&Former Chairman of Living Human Rights, Dreyer Honorary Award
- Villy Søvndal, MEP, Former MfA, Former Party Chairman of the Socialist People’s Party, Denmark
- Nikolaj Villumsen, Former MP and MEP, Denmark
- Sade Hiidenkari, Visual Artist, Civic Activist, Finland
- Cathrine Linn Kristiansen, Leader of the Women’s Front, Norway
- Hege Bae Nyholt, MP, Norway
- Freddy Øvstegard, MP, Norway
- Pia Maria Roll, Theater director, Norway
- Gin Akgul Hajo, Former Executive Committee Council Gävle, Sweden
- Lotta Lagnander, Human Rights Lawyer, Sweden
- Benny Gustafsson, Chairman of the Support Committee for Kurdistan, Sweden
- Per Olov Nordin, Support committee for Kurdistan, Sweden
- Marianne Isaksson, Söderhamn Initiative, Sweden
- Eva Bappho, Söderhamn Initiative, Sweden
- Gun-Britt Wallström, Söderhamn Initiative, Sweden
- Azad Aslan, Council member Söderhamn, Sweden
- Jesper Brandt,Professor Emeritus, Department of Natural Sciences and Environment, Denmark
- Rémy Pagani, Former Mayor of Geneva, former member of the Genève Grand Council, member of the Geneva City Council
- Priska Seiler Graf, National MP, President of SiK-N, Switzerland
- Christophe Clivaz, National Councilor, Canton of Valais
- Nicolas Walder, MP from the Geneva Canton (The Greens)
- Jean Tschopp, National MP from the Canton Vaud (Socialist Party)
- Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, National MP for Geneva (Socialist Party)
- Alfonso Gomez, Former Mayor and Member of the Geneva Executive Municipal
- Raphaël Mahaim, National MP for the Canton Vaud (The Greens)
- Fabian Molina, National MP for the Zurich Canton (Socialist Party)
- Carlo Sommaruga, Member of the Council of States of the Geneva (Socialist Party)
- Léonore Porchet, Member of the National Council, The Greens, Switzerland
- Monica Mc Williams, Women’s Coalition of Northern Ireland (NIWC)
- Nicola Fratoianni, MP & National Secretary of the Sinistra Italiana
- Giuseppe de Cristofaro, Senator Alianza Verde Sinistra, Italy
- Celestino Magni, Senator Alianza Verde Sinistra, Italy
- Francesca Ghirra, MP Alianza Verde Sinistra, Italy
- Andrea Segre, Film Director, Italy
- Maurizio Acerbo, National Secretary, Communist Refoundation Party-European Left
- Ginevra Bompiani, Writer, Italy
- Paolo Ferrero, Italian Politician, Former Minister of Social Solidarity, Italy
- Marco Grimaldi, MP & Vice President of Avs Group, Italy
- Franco Danieli, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy
- Giovanni Russo Spena, Former MP & Committee Spokesperson: the Time Has Come; Freedom for Öcalan, Italy
- Guido Viale, Essayist, Italy
- Lea Melandri, Journalist, Italy
- Ramon Mantovani, Former MP, Italy
- Enrico Calamai, Former Diplomat, Italy
- Piero Bevilacqua, Historian, Italy
- Guido Viale, Essayist, Italy
- Lea Melandri, Journalist, Italy
- Ramon Mantovani, Former MP, Italy
- Enrico Calamai, Former Diplomat, Italy
- Piero Bevilacqua, Historian, Italy
- Abha Bhaya, Human and Women Rights Activist, India
- Ariel Salleh, Hon. Associate Professor, Political Economy, University of Sydney, USA
- Barbara Akdeniz, Mayor of Darmstadt, The Greens, Germany
- Dorothea Köhler, Human Rights Activist, Germany
- Dr. Alessandra Mezzadri, Reader in Global Development& Political Economy Department of Development Studies SOAS, University of London, UK
- Ellahe Sadr, Asylum and Migration Advisor Against Sexual&Racist Exploitation, Teheran-Iran
- Franziska Stier, General Secretary BastA! Switzerland
- Janet Biehl, New York Kurdish Cultural Center, USA
- Maria Andrea Nardi, PhD/Researcher, Lund University Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights, Sweden
- Marion Böker, Director Consultancy on Human Rights and Gender ISSUES, Germany
- Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson of One Law for All, UK
- Monica Calzolari, Councillor for Archaeological Areas, the Municipal Library and the Historical Archives of the City of Tarquinia, Viterbo- Italy
- Dr. Olga Zitzelsberger, Human Scientist, Germany
- Prof. Rada Iveković, Professor of Philosophy, Paris-France
- Wendy Lyon, Human Rights Lawyer, Ireland
- Prof. Dr. Norman Paech, Lawyer and Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Public Law
- Cansu Özdemir, Member of the Federal Parliament, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Aram Ziai, Political scientist, University of Kassel, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Cengiz Barskanmaz, Professor for Law and Social Work, Fulda, Germany
- Prof. Dr Alex Demirovic, Political Scientist, Germany
- Dr. Sylvia Marcos, Mexican psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist. Franz Fanon Award
- Rosalva Aída Hernández, Professor at CIESAS, LASA/Oxfam Martin Diskin Memorial Award, Mexico
- Vivir Quintana, Composer and Singer, Mexico
- Doma Press, Musician, México
- Claudia Korol, Communicator and Popular Educator and Member of Feministas Abya Yala
- Dora Barrancos, Historian and Feminist, Argentina
- Francisca Fernández Droguett, Lecturer, Member of the Movimiento por el Agua y los Territorios MAT and the Escuela Popular Campesina de Curaco, Chile
- Maria Elena Naddeo, Secretary General of APDH Permanent Assembly for Human Rights Argentina
- Lolita Chávez, Human Rights Defender, Member of Feministas del Abya Yala, Guatemala
- Council of K’iche’s Peoples, For the Defence of Life, Mother Nature, Land and Territory. CPK
- Carlos Lordkipanidse, ESMA Survivor, Human Rights Activist
- Sandra Morán, Feminist Activist, Former Member of Parliament and Participant of the Peace Process in Guatemala
- Bertha Zúniga Cáceres, Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras
- Alejandra Ciriza, Feminist Philosopher, Argentina
- Mónica Baltodano, Guerrilla Commander in the Sandinista Revolution and Politician, Exiled and Denationalised for Defending Human Rights in Nicaragua
- Diana Kordon, Coordinator of EATIP- Argentinean Team for Psychosocial Work and Research
- Susana Gamba, Women’s Agenda, Argentina
- Margarita Cruz, Human Rights Defender, Association of Former Disappeared Detainees, Argentina
- Taty Almeida, Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Founder
- Vera Jarach, Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Founder
- Alicia Furman, Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Founder
- Adriana Guzmán Arroyo, Feminismo Comunitario Antipatriarcal, Feministas de Abya Yala, Bolivia
- Diana Restrepo Rodriguez, Lawyer and University Lecturer
- Fernanda Aguirre, Human Rights Secretary of the PIT CNT, Uruguay
- Machi Betiana, Colhuan- Spiritual and Philosophical Leader of the Mapuche People
- Rodrigo Andrade, Popular Ecological Left, Chile
- Francisca Pemjean, Collective EcoSocialistas, Chile
- Daniel Caniullan, Mapuche Leader, Union of Artisanal Fishers Las Guaitecas
- Verónica Vilches, Environmental Defender, Movement for Water SECAS, Chile
- Marcelo Yañez, Deputy Candidate for the Equality Party, Chile.
- Aucan Huilcaman, Movement for Mapuche Self-Determination
- Carlos Beas, Coordinator of the Union of Indigenous Communities of the Northern Zone of the Isthmus, Mexico
- Mauricio Macossay Vallado, Spokesperson for the Rebel Collective, Mexico
- Joel García Venegas, National Union of Agricultural Workers in Oaxaca Secretary of Organisation, Mexico
- Eduardo Barcesat, Constitutional Lawyer
- Atilio Borón, Sociologist, Political Scientist, Writer
- Iris Avellaneda, Argentine League for Human Rights
- Nora Podestá, Argentine League for Human Rights
- Paola Gallo, Movement for Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity Among Peoples
- Pablo Pelaez, Association for the Unity of Our America
- Stella Calloni, Writer, Journalist
- Margaret Rijkelijkhuizen, Teacher at the Yazidi School, Netherlands
- Eda Yilmaz, Lawyer, Netherlands
- Mohammed Kazjin, Team Leader of Business Operations, Netherlands
- Parisa Pouyande, Women’s Right and Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI), Netherlands
- Veerle Driessen, Arts Journalist, Netherlands
- Samy Dury, Member of the Youth Political Organisation Jong Sociaal Contract (JSC)
- Maaz İbrahimoğlu, Journalist, Netherlands
- Martina Del Chiaro, Art & Film and Media Professional, Netherlands
- Jerry Afriyie, Poet and Human Rights Activist, Netherlands
- Daniela Donosaite, Data Science, Netherlands
- Sander Dekker, Activist for the Feminist Club Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Sarah Mottet, Student Political Science, Netherlands
- Ana-Maria Radu, Anthropology, Netherlands
- Sandra Woo, Independent Learning and Development Coordinator, Netherlands
- Prof. Achin Vanaik, Former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, India
- Anuradha Talwar, Trade Union Activist, India
- Nalini Nayak, Co-Founder – Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India
- Aneel Prasad Hegde, Former Member of Parliament – India
- Prof. Anuradha M. Chenoy, Former dean of the School of International Studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
- Pamela Philipose, Journalist, India
- Prof. Ajay Mahurkar, Academic, Ass. Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India
- Srećko Horvat, philosopher, author and political activist, Croatia
- Dunja Jocic, Artist and Choreographer, Netherlands
- Dorothee Wiese, Lecturer, Raadboud University, Netherlands
- Melike Bilgic, Psychologist, Netherlands
- Kamal Chomani, Doctoral Candidate, Netherlands
- Nikos Christofis, Academic, International Cultural Relations, Netherlands
- Mehmet Rauf Kesici, Associate professor in social policy, Netherlands
- H. Nese Özgen, Sociologist, Osnabruck University, IMIS, Germany
- Levent Köker, Professor of Law, Netherlands
- Hacer Ansal, Academic, Netherlands
- Activist Party, University of Amsterdam, Student organization, Netherlands
- Aralez, Community organization, Netherlands