DEM Party issues statement regarding tension at commission meeting

During the 11th meeting of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, a dispute broke out during the speech of Mehmet Beşir Şimşek, Deputy Chairman of the Union of Scholars and Madrasahs (İttihadul-Ulema). MHP Deputy Chairman Feti Yıldız reacted to Şimşek, saying, "Look, we invited you here, but we did not invite you to insult the military, the police, and the state." DEM Party member Cengiz Çiçek stated, "You murdered people with hog-tie knots. You are the ones who are a scourge on the Kurds."

Following this incident, DEM Party members walked out of the meeting. In a written statement signed by party members Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Meral Danış Beştaş, Hakkı Saruhan Oluç, Celal Fırat, and Cengiz Çiçek, details regarding the tension at the meeting and the party's position were explained.

The statement said, "Peace begins with language. If we are talking about peace today, it is everyone's fundamental duty to develop a language and style appropriate to it. Unfortunately, a representative of an institution heard at the commission today displayed a toxic language that does not serve peace and an anti-solution attitude." It was also noted that this language disturbed not only the DEM Party members but also many deputies from other parties.

While emphasizing that they are trying to bring the language of peace and the logic of democratic solutions to the forefront, the DEM Party stated that other parties in the commission should also adopt the same responsible approach. The statement said, "We did not withdraw from the commission; upon the guest in question insisting on toxic language, we left the session until this person's speech was finished in order to draw attention to the language of peace."

While it was stated that the commission's work could open the doors to a new era in Turkey, it was emphasized that democratization laws should be discussed in the coming days. It was also stated that the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding the right to hope is of historical importance.

News Source: 12punto