'Ball in Turkish government's court' after Ocalan peace call, pro-Kurdish party says

By Ece Toksabay

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party wants immediate steps towards democratisation from President Tayyip Erdogan's government after the peace call by the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK), a senior party lawmaker said on Friday.

Thursday's call from Abdullah Ocalan for the PKK to disarm and disband could potentially lead to ending a 40-year conflict between the group and the Turkish state and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region.

"The government should assume responsibility and take steps for democratisation now. This is our demand as citizens of this country," Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, deputy chair of the DEM Party's parliamentary group, told Reuters in an interview, in the party's first official comments since Ocalan's call.

"Now the ball is in the government's court," she said. "If there is no democratisation and the government continues to ignore our fundamental freedoms, how will we be able to live together and build our future?"

While Ocalan's proposal has sparked debate on a potential resolution of the conflict, Turkey's ruling AK Party made clear on Friday it expects all Kurdish militant groups in Iraq and Syria, including U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish forces, to disarm.

Kocyigit said this "rigid" initial government response signalled that achieving peace would be an uphill battle.

"If the entire government... approaches the issue from this perspective, advancing the process will be extremely difficult," she said.

Kocyigit is one of 57 DEM lawmakers in the 600-seat Turkish parliament, where it is the third largest party.

STATE RESPONSE IS 'CRITICAL'

Asked if the PKK would heed Ocalan's call, Kocyigit said:

"From the messages they have given to the public so far, I honestly get the impression they are behind the will of Ocalan and support the process Ocalan will develop," she said.

"But here, the question should not just be about how the PKK responds. One of the biggest questions today is how the state will respond to this call. That is at least as critical as the PKK response."

The PKK is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies.

Analysts are sceptical about Ankara's intentions, suggesting that Erdogan will likely use Ocalan's call as a way to persuade Kurdish voters to support a constitutional overhaul that would allow him to bypass term limits and seek re-election in 2028.

Kocyigit said her party's support for any constitutional change would depend on democratic principles such as equality, inclusivity and pluralism, adding that any meaningful progress in a potential peace process would require legal reforms that guarantee fundamental rights and freedoms.

"If the constitutional process involves the entire society and all political parties, we would take part in it. But we will not be a part of anyone’s personal political agenda," she said.

"We have always underlined the need for a legal framework to enable a lasting resolution," Kocyigit said, adding that repeal of Turkey's anti-terrorism law was an urgent measure as it was being used as a tool to suppress opposition.

Kocyigit indicated that negotiations between Ocalan and the Turkish state had been taking place at multiple levels.

"The state is talking (to him). The fact that this process has progressed and reached this stage is thanks to those discussions - both through our delegation's meetings and beyond. These discussions are not limited to our delegation; ultimately, the state itself is involved in direct talks," she said.

(Additional reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu and Tuvan Gumrukcu, Editing by Gareth Jones)