DEM Party emphasizes the constitution to new Justice Minister Gürlek: 'He must remain faithful to his oath'

DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan made assessments regarding the current agenda at a press conference held at her party's headquarters. Expressing that the upcoming Khidr Fast and the month of Ramadan offer opportunities for kindness, sharing, and solidarity in society, Doğan also evaluated recent social and political developments.

Doğan criticized the detention of 102 people and the arrest of 81 of them as part of an operation conducted on February 3 against the Socialist Party of the Oppressed and various democratic organizations, stating that pressures on democratic politics must come to an end.

The DEM Party spokesperson drew attention to the process that followed the "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" issued last year by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and said the following:

“The Call for Peace and a Democratic Society received a response from the organization as soon as it came from Mr. Öcalan. The PKK first declared a ceasefire, convened its congress, and took a decision to dissolve; it destroyed its weapons and initiated the withdrawal process. Meanwhile, the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission was established. We found the establishment of the commission valuable, even if it had shortcomings. However, the necessary legal regulations to open channels for democratic politics have still not been enacted.”

Stating that as the DEM Party, they attach importance to being a facilitator and constructive, Doğan emphasized that the commission's work and the joint report process are being carried out meticulously, and that the right to speak of all different segments is being considered for the final stage:

“All our relevant boards have worked in a disciplined manner for the joint report, and they will continue to do so. The closing performance worthy of the commission should be to open the doors to a new era with an attitude that is sensitive to the country's needs and not imposing.”

The DEM Party spokesperson referred to the expression previously noted by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, “the golden ratio; the honor of the Kurd, the pride of the Turk,” and said:

“We want to see the reflection of this ‘golden ratio’ in the final report. We expect an approach that is appropriate to the historical role of the commission and that will strengthen social peace. The fundamental demand of both society and the state is the establishment of law and justice.”

ASSESSMENT OF AKIN GÜRLEK

Making an assessment regarding Akın Gürlek, who was appointed as Minister of Justice, Ayşegül Doğan expressed her criticisms regarding the impartiality and independence of the judiciary in Turkey as follows:

“The judiciary in Turkey has never been fully independent and impartial. Those who struggled to establish this independence for a judiciary that could not escape the shadow of politics were usually punished by the judiciary itself. We are currently at an important turning point. In such a controversial atmosphere, our call to the new Minister of Justice is this: He must act in accordance with the text he swore an oath to, that is, he must act according to the constitution. Pursuant to Article 90 of the Constitution, he has the responsibility to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.”

Doğan stated that the decisions to be made in the ministerial seat are of critical importance for the social conscience and the functioning of the rule of law, and advised the new minister to demonstrate his constitutional responsibilities with concrete steps. She also criticized the failure to implement national and international judicial decisions made in the past.

Stating that human rights violations have occurred in many legal files and cases, Doğan said that a historical responsibility now falls on the Minister of Justice and that the process will be closely watched by the entire society:

“The eyes of society will now be on the Ministry of Justice to put an end to unfair and unlawful cases. From now on, everyone will evaluate whether the requirements of the constitution are being met.”

News Source: 12punto