‘Öcalan's plan has the potential to stabilize the Middle East’

2025-07-04 16:17:46


	NEWS CENTER – Writer Debbie Bookchin, former Icelandic Minister Ögmundur Jónasson, and American musician Quincy Saul stated that Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s recent message conveys a universal appeal and called for concrete steps to be taken.

	In a special program broadcast on Medya Haber TV, U.S. activist and writer Debbie Bookchin, former Icelandic Minister Ögmundur Jónasson, and American musician Quincy Saul discussed Öcalan’s call for peace and the PKK’s decision to dissolve.

	 

	DEBBIE BOOKCHIN: ÖCALAN SHOWS THE PATH TO PEACE

	 

	Debbie Bookchin emphasized that Abdullah Öcalan has been the most articulate voice on the peace process and democratic paradigm for years. “No one has laid out the necessary steps, the path, and the paradigms for peace as clearly as Öcalan,” she said, noting that Öcalan’s message came at a critical and valuable moment.

	 

	‘WE MUST GO BEYOND WORDS’

	 

	Calling on Turkish authorities to take concrete steps, Bookchin stated: “That’s why everyone in positions of power—whether in parliament, government, or administration—must sincerely begin taking steps toward peace. We need to go beyond talking and start acting. The same applies to North and East Syria. There is a process there that lays the groundwork for a democratic future. But again, someone in Damascus must start taking concrete steps.”

	 

	‘ÖCALAN’S PLAN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO STABILIZE THE MIDDLE EAST’

	 

	Criticizing the narrow perspective of the European Union (EU) and Western powers on the region, Bookchin said: “A peaceful solution in the Middle East would benefit the EU as well. Öcalan’s plan has the potential to bring stability to the entire Middle East. This is an extraordinary moment, and even from a self-interested perspective, the EU and the West should support this process. It aligns with everything they aim to achieve in terms of economic development and more. But beyond that, it’s also the morally right solution. I believe it’s now time for all of us living in the EU and the U.S. to pressure our elected representatives not to miss this opportunity.”

	 

	ÖGMUNDUR JÓNASSON: WE MUST UNITE AROUND THIS CALL

	 

	Calling Abdullah Öcalan “the light at the end of the tunnel,” Ögmundur Jónasson emphasized that his February 27 message came at a time of rapidly escalating militarization. “This message is not only for Turkey or the Middle East; it’s one that should be heard worldwide. What the Kurds need now is global solidarity that supports Öcalan’s words. I support this in every way I can and invite everyone to join this movement of thought. We must unite around this call.”

	 

	Stating that Turkey must respond to the “hand extended” by Abdullah Öcalan, Jónasson added: “But the responsibility doesn’t lie solely with Turkey—it’s a global matter. Turkey is a NATO member. NATO must encourage and demand that Turkey begin negotiations with the Kurds. As individuals, as societies, and as members of our respective countries, we must all echo this call and support the appeal for peace.”

	 

	QUINCY SAUL: ÖCALAN’S CALL FOR PEACE IS PART OF A LONGSTANDING VISION

	 

	American musician, activist, and writer Quincy Saul said he has been reading Öcalan’s works for many years. He noted that the strength of Öcalan’s call lies in the messages it conveys: “If someone like me, from Vermont, with no connection to the Kurdish people, can be moved by this universal historical vision, it shows how powerful it truly is. For those who read Öcalan and understand his historical theory and analysis of the present, this call for peace is not surprising. Nor is the PKK’s dissolution. These are all rooted in the philosophical and ideological foundations written before 2015. This is part of a long-established line.”

	 

	‘FACT THAT HE CAN WRITE THESE REMARKABLE BOOKS IS INSPIRING TO ALL’

	 

	Saul emphasized that Kurds have inspired many other struggles within global solidarity movements, highlighting the remarkable intellectual work Öcalan has produced under conditions of isolation: “The fact that he not only remains strong but can also write these extraordinary books is inspiring to everyone. It’s not just an intellectual achievement—it’s almost metaphysical, mystical. I see him as a revolutionary mystic.”