Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Plan Could Stall Without Öcalan’s Role

The Movement for a Democratic Society, known as Hareket Yönetimi, has warned that a new framework law aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue carries serious flaws. The group stated that many provisions in the law cannot be implemented unless Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, agrees to coordinate the board the law would create. Under the proposed legislation, a new committee would oversee the peace process. However, Hareket Yönetimi argues that the law fails without Öcalan’s active participation. The group insists that Öcalan must be included in a “free and working capacity” for the plan to function. Without his coordination, key parts of the law would remain ineffective. The warning highlights a major obstacle: the law’s success depends on a figure who remains in prison. Öcalan has been held on İmralı Island since 1999. The group’s statement suggests that any solution excluding him is unrealistic. Officials have not yet responded to the criticism. The framework law is still under review, and no timeline has been set for a vote. Analysts say the dispute could delay progress on one of Turkey’s most sensitive political issues.