BREAKING NEWS... Important messages from Tuncer Bakırhan: 'Prisons must be emptied, the government must take action immediately'

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan is making statements at the parliamentary group meeting. Bakırhan made evaluations regarding the new peace process and the execution regulation currently on the agenda.

Here are the highlights from Bakırhan's statements:

"Before our group meeting, we met with MHP Chairman Mr. Devlet Bahçeli and his delegation. We held a productive meeting. We are continuing our consultations.

We are going through a period where major power struggles are taking place, from the US to China, from Europe to Russia. The world is being reshaped, and the Middle East is taking on a new form. Some powers are shifting, the region is becoming a center again and is once again in the crosshairs. As old balances dissolve, everyone is in a rush to chart the course of the next century. We are not outside of these developments. We say: Since the world and the Middle East are changing, we can chart our own path together. Let others not determine our route.

In these lands, there are Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Alevis, and Sunnis. We can live together with all the colors of this land. No one is above or behind anyone else; we are all equal citizens of this country. With a democratic nation consensus, we can establish a foundation of true equality. Perhaps for the first time, the peoples of the Middle East can write their own scenarios without being condemned to the scenarios of others. Mr. Öcalan's call also opens a new door for us in this sense.

A partnership of will that speaks its own word and makes its own decisions is possible. A democratic Middle East and a democratic Turkey are not a dream. If this century is to be the century of the peoples, as those who have committed themselves to that path, we are ready to set the table for the new century.

Today, we are passing through a historic turning point. The most critical topic of this period is building trust. There is a deep trust issue both among the Kurdish people and across Turkey. Re-establishing this trust is the responsibility of us all. It is extremely valuable that those who have experience in resolution processes, especially those who have served in many political parties including the AK Party, support the peace process, speak out, and contribute to the process today.

This process is not one to be carried solely on the shoulders of the DEM Party. Everyone needs to be braver and take initiative in a more visible way. If we are not going to talk today, when will we talk? We are in the field. We are working day and night. We are putting in the effort to grow social consensus and explaining this sacred cause on every platform.

Likewise, we see that the MHP is also making efforts to explain the process to its own organization and base. There are also valuable efforts within the opposition parties. However, everywhere we go, the public asks us a very clear question: “The process started months ago, so why is the government so hesitant? Why is it not in the field? Why don't those who come and ask for votes during election time visit Şirvan in Siirt or Digor in Kars now? Isn't it their duty to grow social consensus for peace as well?” We are asking these questions too.

We call out to the government once again from here: Is growing social consensus only our job? Our thought is clear: The AKP can also take more responsibility and speak with courage. It can contribute to this process by using the language of resolution more.

Well, does trust only come with words? No, confidence-building steps can also be taken. Today, we are talking about peace on one hand, but on the other hand, we are experiencing great pain when we look at the prisons. Look, the issue of sick prisoners is a painful reality that hurts consciences. According to Ministry of Justice data, two sick prisoners lose their lives every day. In 515 days, 1,026 sick prisoners have lost their lives. You heard that right, 1,026 people! Every day, two funerals, two coffins come out of the prisons. Ending this horrific picture is the first and most urgent step toward peace.

Another step should be regarding the execution regulation. Thousands of people who have been in prison for years for arbitrary reasons are causing justice to erode. The execution law, which is at the center of this process and damages the sense of justice, must now be reorganized according to democratic standards. Prisons must be emptied.

I was in Diyarbakır over the weekend. Confidence-building steps were also discussed at the Local Governments Conference. We talked about the great contribution that the removal of trustees and the strengthening of local democracy would make to Turkey's democracy. The trustee practice, which interferes with the will of the people, is contrary to democracy.

One of the important confidence-building steps is the language used in politics and the media. A new century cannot be built with the language of the old. The language of the media must change urgently. A poisonous and provocative language that is not suitable for the process is still being used. The language of those who insult us and our values morning and night poisons the ground for resolution. I say it very clearly, both we and our base are quite uncomfortable. The more the media adopts the language of resolution, the stronger the socialization of peace will be. Peace begins in language and finds life in society."

Those who are distant from the process should know that I understand your anxieties and concerns. I say it very clearly: We have never had a problem with this country's capital, language, or flag. Our concern is not with Turkey's values; it is with the non-democratic character of the regime. I state this by underlining it: We propose the formula of state plus democracy.

We want a country where the language, culture, and existence of the Kurd are not excluded; where the Alevi will be an equal citizen. We demand democratic equal citizenship. We want a strong local democracy. We demand an understanding that stands at an equal distance to every identity and belief, that takes pluralism as a basis, and that sees differences as wealth.

Some citizens also ask: “Can there be peace without aiming for democracy?” We have placed democracy and law at the destination of this process. The essence of this process is a law of equal brotherhood and a democratic social consensus. Peace is the only bridge that will allow us to reach a democratic society. And we must build this bridge together. Because peace is the right of leftists, secularists, right-wingers, conservatives, and nationalists as well.

Look! Some people constantly ask us questions like “Are you going to cooperate with the MHP and the AKP?” Let us say it clearly: Peace and democracy are bigger than both us and the People's Alliance. We reject cheap political calculations and power games on this path. We are determined to solve the common, urgent need for peace of society and politics through a democratic consensus, despite all our differences.

Look! There are mindless opponents of peace who say “they are dividing, they are cutting, they are carving” no matter what we do. Whichever friend of ours speaks, they excommunicate them, they try to lynch them. Without looking at whether it is right or wrong…

If they weren't ashamed, they would say, “let the conflicts continue, let the funerals of our youth come.” If they weren't ashamed, they would say, “let Turkish-Kurdish relations be buried in eternal darkness.” They have neither heard the sound of gunpowder nor smelled blood. They have suffered no harm from the conflicts.

Yet, the real victims of the conflicts are expressing the truth. The mother of Cemile Çağırga, who was murdered during the curfew and whose body was kept in a refrigerator for days, says, “My two children died before my eyes, in my arms. But despite all this pain, I say peace. We are hopeful about the process, but the state must also take action now.”

Look! Napoleon, whose name has gone down in world history with wars, says: “If you had experienced war for even one day, you would pray for the rest of your life that there would be no war.”

Rest assured, no matter what the opponents of peace do, we will never give them credit. We will not give up on the path we know to be right. We will not allow the future of millions to be wasted for the sake of anyone's privileged life. We give you our word on this.

Turkey needs a Peace Charter in the new century. With this Peace Charter, we will be together not by separating in death, but by uniting in life. The Peace Charter can open the door to a new century in Turkish-Kurdish relations. This charter is a commitment that will guarantee the prosperity, peace, and brotherhood of not only today but also future centuries. The democratic bond to be established between peoples is greater, deeper, and more sacred than anything else.

We are ready to make a commitment to 86 million. Well, is the government ready? Is the main opposition ready? We will continue to ask these questions. Because peace is not only the Kurd's, not only the people of Adıyaman's, not only the DEM Party's; peace is yours, peace is ours, peace belongs to 86 million.

Mr. Öcalan's call for a law of brotherhood reflects the spirit of a new and permanent social contract based on the Democratic Nation Consensus. We can secure our thousand-year brotherhood with a democratic constitution based on equal citizenship.

Today is the anniversary of May 27. We call out once again from here: We must completely close the culture of military tutelage and coups with a democratic contract. The antidote to a coup is free politics, universal law, and democratic consensus.

It is time to strip politics of its personal nature and focus on institutional solutions. The shift of politics from “I” to “we,” from personal goals to a common future, prepares the ground for constitutional transformation. The constitutional debate should not be a taboo; it should be a space for sincere negotiation to be conducted on the axis of democracy, freedom, and justice.

We will neither take refuge in the old tutelage nor accept the current centralization. We are the third way! We are not anyone's backup or bargaining chip; we are the founding element of democratic politics."

News Source: 12punto