A delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), consisting of Pervin Buldan, Medhat Sancar, and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, concluded its meeting with the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Abdullah Öcalan, in Imrali Prison, and the delegation has returned from the island. The delegation is scheduled to issue a detailed statement regarding the outcomes of the meeting at a later time.
In a related context, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party issued a statement in which it affirmed that the success of the peace process and the resolution of the Kurdish issue require the direct involvement of Öcalan in the negotiations.
The text of the statement, published by media outlets close to the party, read as follows:
“Two months have passed without Leader Abdullah Öcalan being able to hold any meeting. At a time when the peace process and the democratic society related to resolving the Kurdish issue are ongoing, the failure to hold a meeting with the chief negotiator of the Kurdish people is difficult to explain. The delegation of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Partî) announced, after its meeting with the delegation of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Devlet Bahçeli, that an agreement had been reached to issue a framework law during the month of July. Two days later, the delegation announced that it would hold a meeting with Leader Abdullah Öcalan on July 23rd.
The President of the Turkish Republic and a number of officials from the Justice and Development Party have repeatedly emphasized the importance of this process. However, the failure to hold a meeting with the main party for two months in a matter of such importance demonstrates a contradiction between words and deeds. If it is decided to issue a framework law necessary for the solution, this cannot be achieved through unilateral will or by imposing a fait accompli, but rather through consensus and the unification of viewpoints. Therefore, the opinions and suggestions of Leader Abdullah Öcalan should be taken into consideration.”
The statement added: “We have previously shared our stances and ideas with the public opinion in the name of the movement. Therefore, we do not wish to issue a new statement. However, following the meeting between the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Partî) and the Justice and Development Party regarding the framework law, some unacceptable evaluations were once again made. Some figures close to the Justice and Development Party stated that the framework law would not include any provision related to Leader Abdullah Öcalan, and that leading cadres would also be excluded from the scope of this law. Any law that does not include the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Öcalan will not be able to solve any problem; on the contrary, it will effectively mean sabotaging the entire process. Therefore, the conditions for Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom should be provided through a law. If this is achieved through the framework law, then progress can be made on the issues under discussion.
Every party that wishes for the advancement of the peace process and the democratic society must clearly recognize that Leader Abdullah Öcalan is the primary actor in this process. This can only be established through a law. This is not limited to the ruling power; it is also important that all opposition political forces and civil society organizations adopt a positive stance regarding the matter of considering Leader Abdullah Öcalan the primary interlocutor. Because talk of a solution can only begin when the issue acquires a legal and rights-based character.
If the goal is to end the state of war that has persisted for fifty years on a political and legal basis, then excluding the movement’s leading cadres from the democratic and free political sphere will not lead to any solution. Therefore, given the nature of the issue to be resolved, a law should be issued that allows everyone, from the leader to the fighters, to engage in democratic political life, with full guarantee of freedom of thought and organization.
Undoubtedly, necessary steps must be taken in due time so that the issue does not remain unresolved. However, any law that is not comprehensive, or that contains loopholes regarding the solution, may lead to undesirable outcomes. Therefore, discussion and consensus should be held with Leader Abdullah Öcalan, and a law free of loopholes should be issued. This law does not concern only our liberation movement; it also concerns the Kurdish people and the democratic forces in Turkey. Any law can succeed when it receives the necessary support. Turkey and our peoples can no longer bear a new collapse. In order to address Turkey’s internal and external problems, the issuance of the basic law to resolve the Kurdish issue must be comprehensive and general. The success of this process cannot be expected through an approach that confines the issue merely to the laying down of arms.
Ending the war phase completely and resolving the Kurdish issue are, in their essence, a matter of democratization. If there is no longer an insistence on war and violence, the only way to solve problems is democracy. Any policy that does not make democracy its goal effectively means an insistence on the continuation of war. Therefore, Leader Abdullah Öcalan has insisted for many years on achieving a peaceful solution based on democratic society to end the war phase. Our liberation movement also believes this is the only path to solution and expresses this conviction clearly through its stances.
The task of achieving democracy should not be left to the state or organizations alone; rather, democratic institutions and civil society organizations should play an active role in this process. Waiting for the step that the state will take means not understanding the struggle for democracy and its history. Democracy is achieved through the interaction between the struggle of society and the state. It is necessary that the democratic struggle does not stop waiting for the state’s steps. Organization must be undertaken in the peace and democratic society process, and the struggle for building society must be waged. Therefore, the peoples of Turkey and democratic forces must embrace the peace and democratic society process and elevate the level of struggle for democracy.”
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
